NBR Officials Announce 3-Day Pen-Down Strike Protesting Split, Hint at Larger Movement

Staff Reporter

The government recently issued an ordinance dividing the National Board of Revenue (NBR) into two separate entities under the Yunus administration. This creates two new divisions: Revenue Policy and Revenue Management. Protesting this decision, NBR officials and employees at all levels have announced a three-day pen-down strike from 10 AM to 1 PM daily. They are expressing strong discontent over the move, with experts also raising questions.

On Tuesday noon, officials from Customs, VAT, and Income Tax cadres gathered in front of the Revenue Building in Agargaon, Dhaka, to announce the protest program. They clarified that import-export and budget-related operations will remain outside the scope of the strike.

The ordinance, issued by the government on Monday night, states that the NBR restructuring involves forming two distinct divisions. The Revenue Policy Division will recruit experts in economics, business administration, research, statistics, administration, law, and auditing. Meanwhile, the Revenue Management Division will prioritize officials experienced in revenue collection, including those from income tax, customs, and administrative cadres.

Earlier, the draft ordinance was approved by the advisory council. Since Monday morning, NBR officials had been gathering at the Revenue Building upon hearing rumors of the split.

Agitated officials claim the government made this critical decision without consulting stakeholders. They view it as tantamount to dissolving the NBR and have hinted at a larger movement in the future.