Dhaka: Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student body of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, on Monday demanded the withdrawal of 10 percent value added tax (VAT) proposed in the budget on the country’s private universities, medical and engineering colleges.

The BNP’s student body came up with the demand at a press conference where it also threatened to launch a greater movement if its demand is not met.

JCD senior joint secretary Asaduzzaman read out a written statement at the press meet on behalf of the organisation.

Finance minister AMA Muhith proposed raising value added tax (VAT) on private education, which includes English medium schools and private engineering and medical colleges in the budget for fiscal 2015-16.

Opposing the VAT imposition, Asaduzzaman said, ‘Over 70 percent students of the country are studying in private educational institutions. A good number of students will face a huge blow if the VAT is imposed, even their academic life will be at stake.’

‘We JCD demand the government immediately call off the 10 percent VAT on the private educational institutions for the sake of general students. We want to equivocally say that if the VAT is not withdrawn before the passage of the budget, we’ll wage a greater movement together with students.’

The BNP’s student body also demanded the government increase the budgetary allocation for the education sector.

They also demanded the government immediately release the senior BNP leaders, including its acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.