DHAKA, 04 June 2021, (TON): AHM Mustafa Kamal, Finance Minister of Bangladesh, in his budget speech in parliament, proposed imposing a 15% tax on the total income of private educational institutions, a move which may end up becoming a burden for thousands of students.

The effects of the proposed tax on private colleges, private medical colleges, dental and engineering colleges and private universities may ultimately trickle down to the students.

Many students and guardians fear the educational institutions will increase tuition fees and other expenditures if the finance minister’s proposal is eventually implemented.

This will mean double trouble for both students and guardians as they are already facing a financial crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, they said.

A worried private university student said “We are doing online classes and the university authorities did not reduce our tuition fees at all. In such conditions, if the government imposes a tax on them, then we will be the victims. They will increase our tuition fees to earn more money”.