The Voice News : Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been stationed in front of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) headquarters for security.
For the second consecutive day, officials and staff of the Income Tax, Customs, and Value Added Tax (VAT) departments are observing a full work stoppage in protest of a proposal to dissolve the National Board of Revenue (NBR), along with three other demands. Starting at 9:00 AM on Sunday (May 25), the protest under the banner of the NBR Reform Unity Council at the NBR headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, has brought revenue operations to a standstill.
An on-site visit revealed that while NBR officials and staff were present at their workplaces, they were not performing any duties. Some were seen sitting idly inside and outside the office, reading newspapers or simply passing time, causing a virtual halt in regular operations.
Meanwhile, a large number of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police personnel have been deployed inside and around the building to maintain law and order. Their presence was visibly alert. However, the NBR Reform Unity Council expressed concern over the deployment, calling it an attempt to suppress their peaceful movement. They alleged that the government’s deployment of law enforcement is unnecessary and aimed at intimidating the protest.
The Unity Council has announced that they will hold a press conference at 4:00 PM today to declare their next course of action. If no new decision is made, the full work stoppage will continue from Monday (May 26) in all NBR offices, except those providing international passenger services.
The core points of their four-point demand are:
Withdrawal of the new ordinance proposing the dissolution of the NBR.
Removal of the NBR Chairman.
Public disclosure of the Revenue Reform Advisory Committee’s recommendations on the official website.
Reevaluation of the draft proposal and committee recommendations through consultation with relevant stakeholders, including aspirant organizations, business associations, civil society, and political leaders, to ensure a sustainable revenue system.
