NBR officials end strike after govt warning

Following a stern government warning and mounting pressure from the country's top business leaders, officials of the National Board of Revenue have withdrawn their shutdown.

The announcement came from the NBR Reform Unity Council, the platform spearheading the protests, after a meeting with business leaders at the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) in Tejgaon yesterday evening. Before this meeting, the business leaders sat with Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed at his office.

In a statement, the protest leaders said they decided to withdraw the complete shutdown "in view of broader economic and public interest", and requests from the business leaders. But the group has expressed hope that positive momentum will continue to achieve "comprehensive and sustainable reform" of the revenue system.

BCI President Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury (Parvez) said they tried to understand the demands of protesting officials. He also said the country had to face such a crisis due to "some misunderstandings".

"In our discussions, we addressed the logical and legal aspects of their concerns. The government has assured them of considering their demands," he said.

The strike that continued for two days crippled the port and customs services. Protesting officials held a sit-in in front of the NBR headquarters in Agargaon.

The shutdown disrupted operations at ports, the Chattogram Custom House, and Dhaka airport, severely affecting export-import activities and revenue collection. Only international passenger services remained exempt from the work stoppage.

Earlier in the day, the government signalled it would take tougher measures to break the impasse. In a parallel move, the government formed a five-member advisory committee led by Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan to help resolve the standoff over the contentious NBR reform ordinance, which had triggered protests across the revenue administration.

The panel includes Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Labour and Employment Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, and Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin, according to the Cabinet Division.

The actions came amid growing pressure from business leaders and a spiralling economic toll, as protesting NBR officials refused to back down from demands that include the removal of NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan and an end to what they termed "vengeful transfers".

In a separate development, the Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday launched an investigation into six NBR officials, including Hasan Mohammad Tarek Rikabder, the president of the NBR Reform Unity Council, over allegations of facilitating large-scale tax evasion and accumulating illicit wealth through bribery.

ACC Director General Md Akhter Hossain said the commission initiated the probe after verifying allegations.

"The ACC does not act as anyone's instrument. The decision to investigate was taken following due diligence," he told reporters.

The accused include AKM Badiul Alam, member (Income Tax Policy); Mirza Ashiq Rana, additional tax commissioner, Tax Zone-8; Mohammad Morshed Uddin Khan, joint tax commissioner at BCS Tax Academy; Monalisa Shahreen Sushmita, joint commissioner; and Sadhan Kumar Kundu, additional commissioner of the Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate.

In a statement, the government said it was "deeply concerned to observe that, for the past two months, a section of NBR officials and employees have been unjustly and unethically obstructing the country's trade, import-export operations, and revenue collection activities under the pretext of a movement".

"This has created severe disruptions, which are entirely unacceptable," it said.

Beyond merely opposing reforms, they have severely hampered revenue collection during the final two months of the fiscal year, the government said, describing the protest as "deliberate and ill-intentioned and completely against the national interest and citizens' rights".

"The government had clearly stated its willingness to consider the demands of NBR officials and called for dialogue. Yet, they disregarded this and, instead of seeking an acceptable solution through discussion, continued their rigid stance, causing ongoing damage to the national economy."

In the statement, the Chief Adviser's Office said the government decided to declare customs, Inland Container Depot (ICD), and bond and customs stations as essential services to ensure imports, exports, and international trade.

Public sector functions designated as essential services must continue uninterrupted even during strikes, emergencies, or crises. This designation restricts actions such as strikes or lockouts that impede critical public functions.