Customs, VAT, and income tax officials and employees across the country will observe a three-hour pen-down strike and sit-in program next Monday from 9am to 12pm.
The NBR Reform Unity Council announced this program at a press conference held at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) building in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Saturday afternoon.
NBR Reform Unity Council President and Additional Commissioner Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabder and General Secretary Additional Tax Commissioner Shehla Siddiqua addressed the conference.
The Unity Council has been campaigning for logical reforms within NBR. At today’s press conference, they demanded the immediate removal of the NBR chairman, claiming that his revenue reform initiatives are nothing but delaying tactics. Notably, the Council had earlier declared the chairman persona non grata at the Revenue Building.
The press conference further stated that the NBR Reform Unity Council must have proper representation in the committee formed by NBR on June 19. A six-member committee comprising tax, customs, and VAT officials was formed to amend the Revenue Ordinance, but no representative from the Unity Council was included, nor were any discussions held with them. Moreover, the NBR Chairman has repeatedly questioned the legitimacy and existence of the NBR Reform Unity Council in various meetings and statements, making provocative remarks.
During Saturday’s meeting, the NBR Reform Unity Council formed a 301-member ad-hoc committee with Additional Commissioner Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabder as president and Additional Tax Commissioner Shehla Siddiqua as general secretary. The meeting strongly condemned the denial of room allocation for a preparatory meeting last Thursday, despite a written application, to organise a seminar titled “The NBR We Want” as part of comprehensive revenue reform discussions.
On May 12, the government issued an ordinance abolishing the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Internal Resources Division (IRD), replacing them with two new divisions: Revenue Policy and Revenue Management. Since then, NBR officials and employees have been protesting under the banner of the NBR Reform Unity Council.
On May 26, the government announced that necessary amendments to the NBR ordinance would be made through discussions by July 31. Following this, a committee was formed on Saturday.