Islami Andolan Bangladesh has criticized the government’s decision to impose taxes on grocery stores, calling it a wrong move that fails to ease public hardship. The party’s assistant secretary general and Dhaka South president, Maulana Ahmad Abdul Kaiyum, made the remarks on Tuesday night while addressing a Dawati meeting of the Shahbagh Thana branch in Dhaka.

He said that instead of burdening small traders, the government should curb corruption and extortion by ruling party leaders to rebuild the country. According to him, many business owners have already closed their shops due to harassment by extortionists, which he described as unsustainable for the nation. Kaiyum also criticized the national parliament for turning into a stage for partisan disputes rather than protecting public interests.

During the meeting, other party leaders, including Maulana Sheikh Fazlul Karim Marum and Nazrul Islam Khokon, also participated. Kaiyum urged the government to fulfill its pledge to implement the July Charter, warning that failure to do so could drive people back to the streets in protest.