The government has promulgated “Revenue Policy and Revenue Administration Ordinance 2025,” dissolving the National Board of Revenue (NBR) despite opposition from BCS Income Tax and Customs cadre officials.
With the ordinance issued late Monday, the government instead formed two new divisions — the Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Administration Division —aimed at bringing structural changes to the country’s revenue governance system.
Although the ordinance included only minor revisions from the previously approved draft, it has sparked renewed concerns among NBR officials, who claim their opinions were not considered during the decision-making process.
The newly issued ordinance brings a subtle change in the mandate of the Revenue Policy Division. It now states that the division will “evaluate” (rather than just “monitor”) the implementation of tax laws and revenue collection processes.
Meanwhile, administrative positions in the Revenue Administration Division will be filled by officers from both the Admin Cadre and the Income Tax and Customs Cadres — a slight accommodation following criticism.
The draft of the ordinance was approved by the Advisory Council on April 17, and was met with strong backlash from NBR employees across all levels, including those from income tax and customs departments.
Protesters had submitted a list of seven key demands, including the complete withdrawal of the proposed ordinance.
According to the final ordinance, all existing staff of the former NBR will be transferred to the newly created Revenue Administration Division. From this pool, necessary personnel may be reassigned to the Revenue Policy Division as required.
Additionally, the Internal Resources Division (IRD) under the Ministry of Finance will be dissolved, and its personnel will be integrated into the Revenue Policy Division.
BCS Income Tax and Customs officials have criticized the government for pushing forward with the reforms without consulting those directly affected.
They argue that such a significant restructuring of the revenue system should have involved broader stakeholder engagement.
Despite the opposition, the interim government appears determined to move forward with the reorganization, portraying it as a necessary modernization aligned with international best practices.
The developments mark one of the most significant overhauls in Bangladesh’s tax administration in recent decades.