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The NBR Reform Unity Council, a platform of tax officials, has announced plans to continue the full-scale work stoppage demanding the cancellation of the ordinance that dissolved the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and created two Revenue Management and Revenue Policy divisions.
On Sunday, the council said the protest would occur in all tax, customs, and value-added tax (VAT) offices, other than the customs houses and LC stations, bdnews24.com reports.
After carrying out the pre-announced programme since Saturday morning, the council made this announcement at a media briefing in the afternoon.
However, at the customs houses and LC stations, the work stoppage will be held from 9am to 5pm. Export and international passenger services will remain out of the strike's purview.
Amid their pre-announced movement, a large number of Army, police, BGB, and RAB personnel have been deployed in the Rajashwa Bhaban, or Revenue Building. In addition, intelligence agency personnel were also reportedly there.
Although they did not engage in direct arguments with the NBR officials, the protesters were allegedly prevented from holding a press briefing inside the building. Later, they organised a briefing outside the facility.
They also announced a full-scale work stoppage starting Monday in all tax, customs, and VAT departments, except international passenger services.
Their demands and programmes were announced at the briefing by Additional Commissioner Edip Billah, Deputy Tax Commissioner Mostafizur Rahman and Assistant Tax Commissioner Ishtiaq Hossain.
Earlier on Thursday night, the finance ministry had said in a press note that “necessary amendments” would be made to the ordinance.
But the protesting officials remained firm in their demand, insisting on full repeal of the ordinance.
Referring to the ministry’s press note, the NBR officials said in a joint statement: “The announcement in the release saying that the NBR will not be dissolved until the ordinance is implemented has unnecessarily created confusion among journalists and the members of the public.
“According to Section 1(2) of the ordinance, until the government issues a separate gazette notification for implementation, the NBR will not be dissolved anyway—so we do not understand why there was a need to announce this separately in the announcement.”
Pointing to the presence of law-enforcing personnel, the joint statement read: “The presence of a large number of police, BGB, RAB, and army personnel in and outside the NBR building has raised questions in our minds.
“In the interest of keeping the country’s economic activities and supply chain management normal, and to ensure revenue collection continues in the final quarter of the fiscal year, we respectfully request the government to make a clear announcement fulfilling our four main demands. As soon as the announcement comes, we will withdraw our programme.”
The four key demands are:
1. Immediate scrapping of the ordinance
2. Sacking the current NBR chairman
3. Publishing the advisory committee’s reform recommendations online
4. Inclusive and sustainable revenue reform through consultation with stakeholders, including civil society, political leaders, and business groups.
On May 12, the interim government issued the "Revenue Policy and Revenue Management Ordinance, 2025," dissolving the NBR.
From the next day onward, the employees of the country’s main revenue-collecting body have been carrying out continuous programmes, including sit-ins and work stoppages.