The Parbatya Chattogram Citizens Council (PCCN) has called for a unified tax policy covering all communities in the three hill districts—Rangamati, Khagrachhari, and Bandarban. The demand was made at a press conference held at the Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh auditorium on Thursday. PCCN leaders argued that the current system grants undue privileges to a specific group under the 1997 peace accord and criticized a recent letter by four members of parliament seeking to retain full tax exemptions for indigenous residents under the Income Tax Act 2023.

Speakers, including PCCN Chairman Kazi Md. Mojibur Rahman and analyst AHM Faruk, said the existing tax exemption violates constitutional equality and fosters economic disparity. They claimed that since 1984, indigenous groups have benefited from tax-free advantages, becoming economically dominant while Bengali residents continue to pay taxes. The council rejected claims of underdevelopment in the hills as one-sided and protested the participation of a Bengali MP in the letter supporting tax exemption.

The organization warned that maintaining exclusive tax waivers could create powerful business syndicates and urged the government to implement the proposed amendment ensuring equal taxation for all citizens.