NBR officials, employees to continue shutdown

Officials and employees of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) have announced the continuation of their complete shutdown and "March to NBR" protest programmes, demanding the removal of NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan.

Despite the ongoing demonstrations, international passenger services will remain operational.

The announcement came following a day-long protest on Saturday (June 28) in front of the NBR headquarters in Agargaon, organised by the NBR Reform Unity Council. Protesters declared that their movement would continue into Sunday (June 29), refusing to back down unless the chairman is removed from office.

Since morning, all entry and exit points of the NBR headquarters were sealed off by law enforcement, preventing both officials and employees from entering or leaving. Senior leaders of the Unity Council, including its President Additional Commissioner Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabder and Secretary General Sehela Siddique, stood with hundreds of colleagues outside the locked gates. Protesters also arrived from across the country, including other major cities and customs offices.

As a result, all administrative functions at the NBR central office have been suspended. Customs clearance for import and export activities at major ports and customs stations—including Chittagong Port, Benapole, and Dhaka Customs House—have also come to a halt.

At a press conference during the protest, Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabder said they are open to dialogue with the government but reiterated that the removal of the NBR chairman is a non-negotiable precondition.

"According to the government’s May 25 press release, revenue reforms cannot proceed while Abdur Rahman Khan remains in charge," Rikabder stated. He alleged that the chairman is "acting as a proxy to serve the interests of a specific political group" and accused him of undermining the reform process through politically motivated actions.

Rikabder further claimed that recent transfers of key revenue officials involved in the reform campaign were punitive and illegal. "Five front-line leaders of the reform initiative were stand-released and reassigned to low-revenue zones outside Dhaka, with immediate effect and without proper notice," he said, adding that this violates civil service regulations.

He also alleged that the chairman is "using these orders to fulfill personal ambitions" and destabilizing the revenue reform environment through “malicious and conspiratorial actions."

While a meeting was held earlier this week with the Finance Secretary, Financial Institutions Division Secretary, the NBR Chairman, and 16 NBR members under the guidance of the Finance Adviser, it failed to resolve the deadlock. Despite calls during the meeting to withdraw the protest, the Unity Council decided to press ahead.