The National Board of Revenue during the just concluded student movement explained that the tuition fees are inclusive of VAT. The VAT was imposed on private university tuition fees with an aim to expand the scope of revenue collection.

The students of private universities have shown their maturity and creativity in leading a peaceful demonstration against the proposed 7.5 percent VAT.

We welcome the cabinet's move to withdraw the 7.5 percent VAT that was imposed on the student tuition fees of the private universities.

Students continue their protest against 7.5 percent VAT on private universities’ tuition fees and blocked some key roads in Dhaka again.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith softens his position about the VAT on private universities’ tuition fees saying the government may review the decision.

North South University (NSU) and Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) suspend classes and examinations till September 15 and September 27 respectively amid student protests against VAT on private universities’ tuition fees.

The anti-VAT protest that erupted on Wednesday produces a large number of messages in the form of handwritten placards and street paintings – both serious and humorous – pointing out the absurdity of imposing VAT on education.

Love him or not, you cannot but be awestruck at the sheer bluntness, call it lack of guile, of Suranjit Sengupta for his candid pronouncement to government employees within 24 hours of their pay hike.

Rejecting the government’s clarification over the 7.5 percent VAT on tuition fees, students from several private universities today warned that they would go for a tougher movement until the imposed VAT is withdrawn.

Both private and public universities in the country seem to be in a state of flux, with dissatisfied students and teachers waging separate movements to realise their demands.

Online activism proved its strength, where students who couldn’t be on the streets showed their support online, through the social platforms.

Traffic problems reaches acute levels in Dhaka after road blockades were set up at several key points by demonstrating public university students.

The High Court questions legality of imposing 7.5 percent value-added tax (VAT) on tuition fees of private universities.

Some eminent citizens over a BBC programme have urged the government to lift VAT from private universities. The private universities, according to the relevant Act, are supposed to be run on a non-profit basis.

The value added tax imposed on the tuition fees of the country’s private universities will not be reduced, Finance Minister AMA Muhith says.

The 7.5 percent VAT on the tuition fees of private universities was based on the hypothesis that rich and well-off parents send their wards to private universities.

The proposed pay scale of public university teachers and the suggested VAT on private universities are two issues that have recently rocked the education sector of the country. In light of these issues, Upashana Salam and Naznin Tithi spoke to the incumbent chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Professor Abdul Mannan, and former chairman of the UGC, Professor Nazrul Islam, respectively, about ways that challenges faced in higher education can be meted.