A dramatic standoff is unfolding within Bangladesh’s revenue administration as the National Board of Revenue (NBR) braces for a nationwide shutdown, set to begin on coming Saturday, unless its chairman, Abdur Rahman Khan, is removed immediately.
The announcement was made at a press conference held at the NBR Revenue Building in the capital’s Agargaon area on Monday, where the council's president, Hasan Muhammad Tareq Rikabdar, and secretary general, Shehela Siddiqa, declared that all tax, customs, and VAT offices across the country would cease operations.
Earlier in the day, thousands of officials and employees gathered outside the revenue headquarters, staging a sit-in demonstration to voice their discontent. From 9 a.m. to noon, officials also observed a symbolic “pen break” strike. Many were seen wearing white shrouds, a gesture they said represented the ‘death of transparency and fairness’ in the revenue sector.
Amid growing tensions, the NBR issued immediate transfer orders for five officials from its Income Tax Wing. The reshuffle affected officials from the Income Tax Intelligence and Investigation Unit, the NBR Board Office, and the tax zones of Dhaka, Cumilla, Mymensingh, Khulna, Bogura, and Rangpur. According to the transfer order, all five officials are required to hand over their current duties by Monday and report to their new posts by Tuesday.
The sudden reshuffle, seen by many within the NBR as a move to weaken the protest, has only intensified anger among the staff. Protesters claim these transfers are not routine but retaliatory actions meant to intimidate and divide employees.
The council leadership reiterated that unless the chairman is removed immediately, the full-scale shutdown of NBR operations would proceed as planned. With revenue offices being the core of tax collection and fiscal management, such a disruption could have a far-reaching impact on the country’s public finances.
The government has not yet issued any public response to the unfolding crisis. However, insiders say senior administrative discussions are underway to avoid a complete collapse of revenue services.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
