Officials of the now-dissolved National Board of Revenue (NBR) have announced another round protests, a three-day pen-down strike, against the government’s sudden decision to abolish the institution through an ordinance.
The strike, organised under the banner of NBR Sangskar Oikya Parishad, will be observed on May 14, 15, and 17.
While officials have pledged to continue urgent tasks involving airway passengers, export-related matters, and preparations for the national budget, all other works will be suspended during the strike hours.
On the first day, employees will abstain from duties from 10:00am to 1:00pm. On the following two days, the strike will run from 10:00am to 3:00pm, said Sadhan Kumar Kundu, additional customs commissioner and a spokesperson for the protestors.
The announcement was made during a sit-in demonstration held Tuesday in front of the NBR headquarters in the capital. The NBR building has seen such protests for the day as escalations occurred seemingly one after another.
The protest follows President Mohammed Shahabuddin’s promulgation of an ordinance late on Monday, formally abolishing the NBR and replacing it with two new entities — the Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Management Division.
The alleged abrupt decision has sparked outrage among NBR officials, many of whom claim that the government disregarded the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Revenue Reforms and failed to consult key stakeholders.
Experienced and skilled officials in the revenue sector are being sidelined, said Monalisa Shahrin Sushmita, joint commissioner of taxes, during Tuesday’s protest.
The ordinance was issued at night, without transparency or input from those who have long served in revenue administration, according to the protesters.
They fear that the restructuring will reduce the autonomy and efficacy of the revenue system, shifting power from seasoned tax and customs officers to general administration cadre officials.
As of 5:00pm Tuesday, employees continued their sit-in protest at the NBR headquarters and tensions flared when NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan exited the premises at around 4:10pm amid loud slogans from demonstrators demanding the immediate withdrawal of the ordinance.
Protesters are calling for the government to halt the implementation of the ordinance and initiate fresh dialogue involving all stakeholders to ensure that any reform strengthens rather than undermines the revenue administration.
While protests have been ongoing since the draft of the ordinance was circulated, NBR employees say no substantial revisions were made before its final issuance.