NBR Unity Council declares shutdown, ‘march to NBR’ program

The NBR Reform Unity Council has rejected the Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed’s invitation to hold talks. At the same time, the council has announced a ‘Complete Shutdown’ and a ‘March to NBR’ program scheduled for June 28.

The decision was announced on Wednesday (June 25) at a press conference held at the NBR headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka. The event was attended by NBR Reform Unity Council President and Additional Commissioner Hassan Muhammad Tarek Rikabdar, Additional Tax Commissioner Monalisa Shahrin Susmita, and other officials.

At the press briefing, it was stated that although the Finance Adviser wanted to hold talks with representatives of the BCS (Tax) and CCS (Customs and Excise) cadres at 5 pm on June 26, no formal invitation was sent to the representatives of the NBR Reform Unity Council. In the previous meeting held on May 20, the council was given only 10 minutes, and though the adviser claimed the discussion was fruitful, the council’s experience was disappointing. Therefore, the council said it will not participate in the talks this time.

The council leaders alleged that a meeting notice appeared on social media this morning but was not directly sent to them. They described the notice, which was issued with a date one day earlier, as an “eye-wash.” They also demanded the removal of the NBR Chairman, who is reportedly third on a list of 44 bureaucrats accused of implementing the government’s “fascist agenda.” They declared they will not enter into any dialogue until this removal is done.

On June 26 (Thursday), from 12 noon to 5 pm, a sit-in and pen-down strike will be observed at the Revenue Building in Dhaka and other related offices outside the capital. Services related to international passengers and exports will be exempt from this program. During this time, protests and expressions of disapproval against the Chairman and his associates will be carried out.

If the NBR Chairman is not removed by the set deadline, from June 28 onward a ‘Complete Shutdown’ will begin in all Tax, Customs, and VAT offices across the country. International passenger services will be excluded from the shutdown. On the same day, a ‘March to NBR’ campaign will be held from tax offices nationwide. Officials outside Dhaka have been requested to buy tickets in advance to participate.

The organization issued a stern warning that if any officer or employee participating in the program faces forced retirement, transfer, demotion, or any punitive action, thousands of staff members in the Tax, Customs, and VAT departments will unite to resist such measures.

At the press conference, the speakers said, “We do not want to stray from the main lessons and reform spirit of the July uprising. To end this situation, direct intervention from the Finance Adviser is urgently necessary.”

Meanwhile, on June 25, in a statement, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed invited representatives of the BCS (Tax) and BCS (Customs and Excise) cadres to hold talks at 5 pm on June 26. He also urged all officers and employees to remain at their respective offices and focus on revenue collection during the last working days of the fiscal year.