2015 Anti VAT Movement by Private University Students

The angst and the movement by the students of  private universities  in Bangladesh during the  July Uprising helped in keeping the movement alive and led to the eventual ouster of Sheikh Hasina. Before that there used to always be a sentiment by many in society that private university  students aren't well aware of the government atrocities and don't like to get involved against the ruling government. However, July wasn’t the first time  a confrontation between private universities and the ruling government happened, for that we need to look back at the No VAT movement.

The challenge of student agitation in Bangladesh is so important in 2015 as it actually resulted from the government's most uncalled-for decision over VAT on tuition fees at private universities. Such a harmless policy reform became instantly a powerful national protest, later forming a movement that eventually succeeded not only in getting the government to withdraw its decision but also in redefining student activism in the country and set the seeds for future protests against government policies.

The "No VAT on Education" movement grew out of the 2015-16 national budget which proposed to impose a ten percent VAT on all tuition fees paid by students studying in private universities. The student body condemned the proposed VAT by most vehement reactions involving parents, university authorities, and educationists. Students held that education can neither be traded nor taxed, on the grounds that it adds an unbearable burden on middle and lower-middle-class families, whose plight would have worsened further by this policy, making higher education access more difficult for many. The idea of this VAT was proposed and implement by the then finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith.

The government had initially placated the students by promising them that the VAT rate would be reduced to 7.5%. Still, this did not assuage the growing feeling of dissatisfaction among the student populace as it was seen just as a slight cosmetic change and still kept the fundamental angle of taxing education intact. This disinterest was enough to pour more oil on-the-fire and thus escalate protests nationwide.

The protests initiated with small demonstrations at universities, where students aired their grievances through peaceful rallies and sit-ins. However, with the passing of time, these protests slowly expanded from individual campuses into one regional movement representing students from different backgrounds and institutions. Soon, students spilled into the streets organizing mass demonstrations, marches, and sit-ins in Dhaka, Chittagong, and Rajshahi. The experience of the protesters in these three districts of Bangladesh is described below:-

Dhaka: it is where students congregated in a grand manner-the hauls were so massive that thousands upon thousands of them came from out of town universities and collectively paraded with banners like, "No VAT on Education!" and "Education is a Right, Not a Commodity!" It wasn't unusual that these demonstrations brought about a total gridlock in the city, as one would expect-the students' restlessness was sure it did.

Chittagong: In the port city of Chittagong, students had organized several colorful protests in the most entertaining ways. They wrote slogans on banners and placards and did street theater on the conditions that VAT is going to have on the lives of students and held flash mobs to address the said topic.

Rajshahi: Rajshahi students celebrated their city reputation for student activism by organizing a series of sit-ins and marches, all demanding immediate cancellation of the VAT. They also launched an awareness campaign by distributing pamphlets and conducting discussions with the local public to garner support for their cause.

Police and BCL both worked hard to repress the movement as much as they could. East West University students and their deputy registrar were attacked by the police and 23 students including the deputy registrar got injured as a result of the unjust attack on them on their peaceful protest by the police. Another incident involved Titumir college students attacking the protesters. A bus full of Titumir students carrying sticks attacked peaceful protesters on the street who were blockading for their demands. These attacks further intensified the protests and even more students joined in the protests than before.

The sheer resilience of this student movement took the government to surprise, whereby it had no choice but to recognize and realize the severity of the matter. That protest was peaceful and well organized. Students effectively used social media to communicate, organize, and mobilize support. Hashtags like #NoVATonEducation and #EducationIsNotATrade even trended on social media; this increased the reach and drew high public attention toward the movement.

Other than using Facebook and Twitter for giving updates about when and where protesting activities would take place, students employed these social networking sites for dissemination of news articles and opinion pieces surrounding the issue and for mobilization of other students, the general public, and all other sympathetic listeners. As online campaigns to raise public awareness about how VAT affects consumers, they called the public to support the mobilisation. Online petitions, online moderated discussions, and social media challenges targeted much wider audiences to gain a voice for these students, penetrating beyond national boundaries.. The telling of financially frustrated students will also help give public sympathy and support for the cause.

The initiative was, furthermore, welcomed by much of the civil society, educators' associations, and political will, therefore, raising its scope of impact. Various civil society players, such as human rights groups, education rights groups, and student unions ended up supporting the student movement. They assisted the students with legal and logistic support, mobilizing the protests, and in bringing the voice of the students into the limelight through the media.

The country's teachers' unions led the charge in opposing the imposition of VAT on education by the government. They also felt that the tax would not only overburden the students but also affect the quality of education negatively, as institutions will hike tuition fees for private universities to match the tax.

Students demanded inclusive reforms of the education system, teaching, development of curricula, and improvement of infrastructure. They also demanded more autonomy given to universities and greater student involvement in the government governing universities. The government also felt compelled to reconsider its stand in the light of the continued pressure of the protests of the students and growing public support. On September 14, 2015 the government decided to fully withdraw the Value Added Tax on tuition fees charged with private universities, acknowledging the vitality and validity of the student movement. The decision was a big victory for the students and a turning point in the story of student activism in Bangladesh.

The 'No VAT on Education' movement was a testament to homogeneity and showed that students can have the strongest influence on governmental decisions. The movement gave a strong reminder to policymakers that most students are not just passive receivers of teachings but effective citizens who have the right, as well as the duty, of making future decisions for their country. It additionally emphasized the significance of providing accessible and affordable education for the nation’s social and economic advancement.

The initiative fostered a sense of collective agency among students, igniting their desire to engage more deeply with societal and political issues. It illustrated to them that their voices could resonate and that their concerns might be addressed by those in power. It boosted the confidence of the students to be more active in social and political issues, showing them that their voice matters and can be responded to by those in power. In addition, this tightened up the bonds between the students from different universities, showing unity and solidarity among the youth themselves.

Further, the campaign "No VAT on Education" had a significant impact on the policy of the government regarding education. The government was forced to accept the concerns of the students and the commoners regarding the accessibility and affordability of education. The government had realized if it kept on insisting on the VAT it may risk escalating the situation furthermore to the point the government itself could be in danger. A reason behind this insecurity was the fact the Awami League government in 2015 became elected through a dubious election back in 2014 making their position vulnerable.

Following the wave of mobilization by the student movement, some policy reforms were undertaken by the government in an approach to enhance access. Such reforms included: an increase in financial allocations for public education, the launch of new scholarship schemes, and the expansion of additional public universities into less developed areas. However, this policy would be disastrous in the long run because most of the new universities that were being built would end up having below sub par facilities. Private university students got what they wanted as VAT was not implemented in the tuition fees of private universities.

Thus, the "No VAT on Education" campaign signified the power of student activism in Bangladesh. It was the perfect example that indicated the power of students—if united, nothing could stop them because they had their voices listened to and their demands met. The student body reaped tremendous success from the campaign and continued to inspire other generations of students into the process of defining their future and helping build a better community. The government would face another protest by private university students in 2024. However, this time around due to their own arrogance they would fail into give into the justified demands of the students and thus eventually the government would fall. 2015 Anti VAT protests teaches us an important thing-if the youth want change to happen it will happen.

Sources:

1) The Daily Star: "No VAT on education: Students celebrate victory"

2) New Age: "VAT on private university tuition withdrawn"

3) bdnews24.com: "Students celebrate as govt withdraws VAT on private university tuition fees"

4) BCL attack on Private University Students: https://web.archive.org/web/20150911235906/http://www.en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/78791/BCL-men-attack-student-demo-chanting-%E2%80%98Joy-Bangla%E2%80%99

5)Abul Maal Abdul Muhit's statement regarding the VAT Protest :https://web.archive.org/web/20150916040015/http://unb.com.bd/muhith-vat-2

6)Police end up injuring 23 students: https://archive.dhakatribune.com/uncategorized/2015/09/09/23-hurt-as-police-foil-anti-vat-ewu-demo

7)Students protest against Private University tution fees: https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/ctg-students-protest-vat-private-university-tuition-fees-130057

8) PM asks to remove VAT on private university tution fees: https://web.archive.org/web/20150916234402/http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2015/sep/14/vat-education-withdrawn

9) Titumir College students attack private varsity students at Dhaka’s Banani: https://web.archive.org/web/20150916170329/https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2015/09/14/titumir-college-students-attack-agitating-private-varsity-students-at-dhakas-banani