Employees under the National Board of Revenue (NBR) have threatened to completely shut down all tax, customs, and VAT offices across Bangladesh starting Saturday unless Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan is removed from his position. The ultimatum was issued by the NBR Reform Unity Council during a press conference at the NBR headquarters in Agargaon on Monday.
Council President Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabdar and General Secretary Sehela Siddika leveled serious allegations against the chairman, accusing him of acting as a “political agent of the previous Awami League government” and systematically undermining the country’s revenue administration system.
Their protest gained momentum as NBR officers and staff staged a sit-in demonstration at the headquarters on Monday, accompanied by a symbolic three-hour pen-down strike from 9am to 12 noon where some participants wore white shrouds as a mark of protest.
The Council strongly condemned what they described as retaliatory transfers of five Income Tax Wing officials on Sunday, including two from the sensitive Intelligence and Investigation Unit, one from the NBR Board Office, and two others from tax zones in Dhaka and Cumilla.
They announced escalating protests beginning Tuesday if these transfer orders are not rescinded by Monday, with plans for extended sit-ins and pen-down strikes from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM across all tax offices nationwide, while maintaining essential international passenger and export services.
The protest roadmap includes further intensification on June 25-26 with afternoon demonstrations from 12pm to 5pm if more transfers occur. However, the Council issued their sternest warning of a complete and indefinite shutdown of all NBR operations starting Saturday unless their dual demands – the chairman’s removal and cancellation of all punitive transfers – are met by June 27.
In a detailed written statement, the Council leadership outlined multiple allegations against the chairman, including violation of established transfer policies in relocating senior commissioners, controversial appointments to sensitive positions, and alleged attempts to intimidate protesting officers through threats of punishment and further transfers.
They also accused the chairman of orchestrating external interference to disrupt their peaceful movement. The Council warned that these actions have already created severe operational disruptions that could critically impact national revenue collection if allowed to continue.