PABNA, MAY 26 (V7N) – Despite rainfall, bidi workers in Pabna today formed a human chain in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office, demanding the removal of British American Tobacco's (BAT) "illegal cigarette factory" from the Dhaka Cantonment residential area. The protest, organized by the Pabna District Bidi Mazdoor Union, commenced around 11 AM on Monday.

Following the human chain, the workers submitted a five-point memorandum to the Chief Adviser through the Pabna Deputy Commissioner. Their demands include:

Removal of BAT's illegal cigarette factory from the Dhaka Cantonment residential area.
Withdrawal of bidi duty and advance income tax.
Enactment of a health protection law for bidi workers.
A ban on the production and sale of fake bidis.
Formation of a committee led by the Deputy Commissioner to prevent fake bidis and cigarettes.
Speakers at the human chain emphasized that the bidi industry is a domestic, labor-dependent sector that has historically been free of duty. They claimed that "bidi factories are gradually closing due to the conspiracy of some domestic and foreign NGOs and foreign multinational companies," pushing the industry to the brink of collapse and leaving millions of workers vulnerable to unemployment. To protect the industry, they urged for the complete withdrawal of bidi duty and advance income tax in the upcoming budget. They also called for the formation of a district-level committee, led by the Deputy Commissioner, to halt the production and sale of counterfeit bidis and cigarettes.

The workers further alleged that BAT's cigarette factory in the Dhaka Cantonment residential area poses a severe threat to environmental and public health, citing various health problems experienced by residents due to chemical emissions. They questioned BAT's apparent disregard for a court verdict, stating, "Our question is, is BAT more powerful than the government?" They accused BAT of "burning the lungs of the people of this country and is siphoning off thousands of crores of taka abroad," in addition to tax evasion, as reported by leading media outlets. The workers demanded an immediate halt to all such "aggressions," including the removal of the illegal factory.

The human chain was chaired by Pabna District Bidi Mazdoor Union President Harik Hossain. Among those who addressed the gathering were Bangladesh Bidi Workers Federation President Amin Uddin BSC, Vice Presidents Nazim Uddin, Lutfar Rahman, Anwar Hossain, Pabna District Bidi Mazdoor Union General Secretary Shamim Islam, Joint Secretary Abdul Gafur, Abul Hasnat Lavlu, Rani Khatun, Pabna District Bidi Mazdoor Union Vice President Alam Hossain, Joint Secretary Dulal Mollah, Organizing Secretary Dulal Sheikh, Treasurer Tokon Roy, and Labor Secretary Chameli Khatun.

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