The government's focus on mega projects, skills development and job creation are commendable.

The government has backtracked from its decision to roll out the new VAT law from July due to resistance from businesses and a section of revenue officials and inadequate preparation from the National Board of Revenue.

To ensure deposition of VAT by traders outside district towns, the government has planned to make it mandatory for trading units outside the district towns to use Electronic Cash Register (ECR) and point of sale (POS) system.

In face of protests from businessmen, the government has decided not to implement a flat VAT rate for small traders and instead almost doubled the package VAT.

The government has backtracked on its move to implement the new VAT law from the start of the new fiscal year in the face of resistance from businesses, a section of revenue officials and inadequate preparation by the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

That the government needs to increase revenue is understandable, given that we are looking at wholesale promotions within the bureaucracy and a new revised wage board that has to be implemented for State officials. However, one has to take into account at what cost will revenue be increased. Going by what has been published in the press, everything from electricity to apparels will be more expensive – products and services will boast at least a 15 percent increase in selling price.

Despite opposition from businesses, Finance Minister AMA Muhith says a uniform 15 percent VAT will be applicable from next fiscal year.

In a pre-budget discussion, mobile operators urges the government to remove value added tax (VAT) on internet use in the upcoming fiscal plan for 2016-17.

The Supreme Court stays a High Court order that halted the 7.5 percent value added tax (VAT) on the English medium schools’ tuition fees.

Health conscious university kids immediately go on VLCC's VAT-reducing diet. Traffic jam turns into VATtic jam as playing with traffic is the only available bargaining chip.

The High Court stays for six months a government decision that imposed 7.5 percent VAT on tuition fees of English medium students.

About 29 people are injured after anti-VAT demonstrators and Titumir College Chhatra League activists scuffle at Kakoli today.

Students pursue mass protests in Dhaka and put road blockades along key points in the capital, severely disrupting traffic in strike against 7.5 percent VAT on private university tuition fees. They say protests will continue until the VAT is withdrawn.

Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB) calls upon the government to reconsider its decision to impose VAT on the universities.

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

Private university students hit the streets across Dhaka demanding withdrawal of the 7.5 percent VAT imposed on tuition fees - a day after police opened fire on East West University students demonstrating on the same demand.

East West University students clash with police during demonstration protesting VAT on tuition fees. Badda-Rampura road blockaded for half-an-hour.

Education is both a human right in itself and an indispensable means of realising other human rights.

Education is not the right area to impose VAT.

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.