Fresh tensions have emerged among officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), who allege that local administrators are trying to interfere with revenue collection.
The dispute began when the Jessore District Magistrate’s office issued a letter directing its subordinate offices to include representatives of the revenue authority in local coordination committees and to review revenue matters in committee meetings.
According to NBR officials, the directive breaches the Rules of Business, which clearly outline the jurisdiction of revenue agencies and the administrative service.
They pointed out that the Benapole Customs House in Jessore is headed by a commissioner who holds a higher rank than the district magistrate and is accountable solely to the NBR.
Therefore, any review of customs revenue by a committee chaired by an Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) “has no legal basis”, they said.
Officials described the attempt as an overreach of authority and said they have “no reason” to act on such letters.
“Any instruction concerning revenue administration must come through the proper legal channel,” said an NBR official, on condition of anonymity.
However, the Jessore district magistrate’s office maintained that the directive was issued based on recommendations from a committee under the shipping ministry, aimed at increasing transparency and coordination at Benapole Customs House.
A member of that committee, seeking anonymity, said the recommendation was made to “enhance local oversight and bridge gaps between different cadres”.
He added that if approved by the Cabinet Division, the practice could be expanded nationwide.
Under the Rules of Business, officers of the administrative cadre act as local coordinators for central government activities, while customs and VAT departments are specialised agencies reporting only to the NBR.
Therefore, administrative officers have no legal authority to intervene in core customs functions, such as revenue assessment or import–export supervision, the NBR clarified.
Public administration expert and former additional secretary Firoz Mia told TIMES that a deputy commissioner cannot take such a step without explicit approval from higher authorities.
“Revenue officials are accountable to the NBR, not the local administration. It is the NBR’s decision whether its officials will participate in local coordination committees,” he said.
Jessore Deputy Commissioner Md Azaharul Islam told TIMES that all government offices are typically part of the district and upazila coordination committees.
“Following this practice, we directed the inclusion of the customs office,” he said, adding that the shipping ministry’s recommendation also supported the step.
However, he did not specify whether the Rules of Business permit the review of revenue data in those meetings.
