NBR officials continue strike for second day

Officials and employees of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) across Bangladesh today observed a five-hour pen-down strike for the second consecutive day, protesting the government's recent ordinance to dissolve and restructure the country's revenue administration.

The protesters, under the banner of the "NBR Reform Unity Council", reported to their workplaces at tax, VAT, and customs offices nationwide but refrained from performing any duties from 10 am to 3 pm.

Only international passenger services, export operations, and budget-related activities were exempted from the strike.

The protest comes in response to the government's decision last Monday to form two new wings, the Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Implementation Division.

According to the ordinance, the policy division will be responsible for formulating tax policies and setting tariffs, while the implementation division will oversee tax collection and enforcement of related rules and regulations.

Critics within the customs and income tax cadres argue that the ordinance sidelined experienced tax professionals by transferring policy-making powers to officials from the general administration and other cadres.

The platform announced that it would hold a press briefing in the afternoon at the NBR headquarters in Dhaka's Agargaon today, to share the latest updates.

Meanwhile, NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan is also scheduled to brief the media separately today, according to the public relations officer. However, the briefing didn't take place.