Licensed Legal Firearms Owners on Tuesday demanded the immediate withdrawal of a proposed advance income tax (AIT) on legally held weapons, calling it irrational, internationally unprecedented and a threat to public safety.
Licensed Legal Firearms Owners Association of Bangladesh came up with the demand at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club.
Under the proposed budget measure, pistol and revolver owners would be required to pay Tk 1 lakh annually as advance income tax, while shotgun and rifle holders would face a Tk 50,000 annual levy, on top of already steep renewal fees.
“No country in the developed or developing world imposes advance income tax on licensed firearms. This is without precedent,” said association spokesperson and organiser Mahbub A Khuda Jewel, presenting a comparative breakdown of licensing fees across countries.
He noted that while most Asian nations charge under Tk 5,000 for firearm licence renewal, Bangladesh already levies Tk 20,000 for pistols and revolvers and Tk 10,000 for shotguns and rifles.
Adding a tax of Tk 1 lakh or Tk 50,000 on top of these fees, he said, would be a gross violation of international norms and an unbearable burden on ordinary citizens.
Speakers also raised national security concerns, noting that a large number of firearms looted from police stations during the unrest following August 5 last year remain unrecovered.
They argued that the visible presence of legal gun owners currently deters criminals from openly using those weapons, an invisible security shield that would dissolve if licensed holders are financially compelled to surrender their arms.
Association organiser of the event Md Kamruddin Rashed warned that imposing such a tax during an already difficult period for the country would be deeply harmful, while others cautioned that the move could drive talented competitive shooters away from the sport, dealing an irreversible blow to Bangladesh's athletics sector.
The association placed three formal demands before the government: Immediate cancellation of the proposed AIT of Tk 1 lakh on pistols and revolvers, and Tk 50,000 on shotguns and rifles, along with all additional fee hikes, simplification of the firearm licensing and renewal process for eligible citizens in the interest of national security and formulation of a realistic, modern and security-friendly fee structure in consultation with licence holders.