The ongoing protest by the officials and employees of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) was called off on Sunday night, putting an end — at least for now — to the recent wave of demonstrations that had plagued the country’s revenue operations for several days.
The announcement came around 9:30pm at a joint press conference held at the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) office in Tejgaon after a meeting between the business leaders and the representatives of the NBR Reform Unity Council.
The movement had entered a critical stage following the launch of a “complete shutdown” programme starting last Saturday. This led to a near-total halt in NBR activities, including import-export operations and customs clearance at major ports and customs houses — from Dhaka to Chattogram, Benapole, Sonamasjid, Akhaura, and Burimari.
Speaking on behalf of the business community, BCI President Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez and NBR Reform Unity Council President and Additional Commissioner Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabdar addressed the media.
Other prominent figures present at the event included former FBCCI President Mir Nasir Hossain, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan, Apex Footwear MD and former MCCI President Syed Nasim Manzur, and NBR Reform Unity Council Vice President Mirza Ashiq Rana.
For the past six weeks, NBR officers and staff have been engaged in a coordinated movement, demanding logical reforms within the organization. Today’s withdrawal marks a temporary resolution following discussions and growing pressure from stakeholders concerned about the impact on trade and revenue.
As part of the movement, NBR officials had been enforcing a “complete shutdown” of operations and carrying out a “March to NBR” for a second consecutive day on Sunday. Protesters under the banner of the NBR Reform Unity Council had gathered outside the NBR’s Agargaon headquarters, demanding institutional reforms and the removal of the current NBR chairman. The protest had severely hampered the country’s revenue collection and disrupted activities at key customs houses and land ports.
Earlier on Sunday evening, at around 5:45 PM, Finance Adviser to the interim government, Salehuddin Ahmed, held an emergency meeting with top business leaders at the Finance Ministry to resolve the deadlock. Following the meeting, which concluded at 7 PM, he announced the formation of a five-member reform committee to address the NBR employees’ demands.
In a related development, the interim government earlier declared all NBR services as “essential,” issuing a stern warning to striking officials and employees to return to work. A government statement emphasized that failure to resume duties would lead to strict action to protect the public interest and the national economy.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched investigations against six senior NBR officials over allegations of corruption. In a press release issued today, ACC Deputy Director and spokesperson Md. Akhtarul Islam confirmed that some NBR officers had allegedly accepted large bribes to facilitate tax evasion for certain taxpayers. These officials are accused of reducing assessed taxes in collusion with taxpayers, resulting in significant revenue losses for the government.
The coming weeks are likely to be critical for the NBR, as the newly formed reform committee begins its work amid mounting public scrutiny and corruption investigations.
Five-member advisory committee formed to tackle NBR situation
Earlier, the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the government has formed a five-member advisory committee to address the situation, Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed announced on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters after a high-level meeting with top business leaders at the Finance Ministry, Dr. Ahmed confirmed the formation of the committee but refrained from disclosing the names of its members or the specific scope of its mandate.
“The committee will hold discussions on how to reform the NBR. They will listen to all stakeholders,” Dr. Ahmed said, emphasizing a consultative approach to addressing the unrest within the revenue board.
When asked about the members of the committee, he replied, “I’m not going to reveal their names at this moment.”
The unrest within the NBR stems from internal dissatisfaction, which has recently escalated into active demonstrations. Tensions have further intensified following an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigation into six NBR officials allegedly involved in the protests. When questioned about the ACC probe, Dr. Ahmed clarified, “That is not under my department’s jurisdiction.”
The meeting, which began around 5:45 PM and ended at approximately 7 PM, was attended by prominent figures from the business community. Among them were International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh (ICCB) President Mahbubur Rahman, ICCB Vice President and former FBCCI President A K Azad, former caretaker government adviser and Square Pharmaceuticals MD Tapan Chowdhury, and other key industry leaders.
Also present at the meeting were FBCCI former President Mir Nasir Hossain, LFMEAB President Syed Nasim Manzur, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan, Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) President Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury, MCCI President Kamran T. Rahman, MCCI Vice President and Transcom Group CEO Simeen Rahman, and DCCI President Taskin Ahmed. NBR Chairman Md. Abdur Rahman Khan also attended the discussions.
This development marks a critical moment for the country’s revenue administration, as stakeholders await concrete steps to resolve the internal disputes and modernize the NBR.