Unity Council accuses NBR chief of obstructing reform efforts

NBR Reform Unity Council Accuses Chairman of Obstructing Reforms, Threatens Indefinite Shutdown

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) Reform Unity Council has accused NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan of actively blocking the government's revenue reform agenda, warning of an indefinite halt to NBR operations unless he is removed by Friday (June 27).

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday in Agargaon, Dhaka, Unity Council leaders alleged that the chairman is furthering the interests of what they described as the “fugitive fascist Awami regime” and deliberately sabotaging reform efforts. They claimed he has fostered a climate of hostility toward reform through politically driven transfers and conspiratorial tactics.

As part of their ongoing demonstrations, customs and tax officials carried out a second consecutive day of pen-down and sit-in protests from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at NBR headquarters and regional offices nationwide. During the protest, officials dramatically tore up recent transfer orders issued for NBR personnel.

Throughout the day, demonstrators staged a sit-in at the NBR building’s ground floor. Unity Council President and Additional Commissioner Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabdar addressed the gathering, declaring that the protest would continue until meaningful reforms are implemented.

The council cited the recent forced retirement of six senior bureaucrats from the previous government as evidence of a broader campaign to stifle reform. They accused the NBR chairman of misleading policymakers and deliberately distancing them from the Council, despite the government having accepted several of its key demands.

A key flashpoint, according to the Council, was the chairman’s refusal to approve a stakeholder seminar titled “What Kind of NBR Do We Want?” After their request was rejected, income tax, VAT, and customs officials held the event informally, sitting on the floor. The chairman reportedly also imposed a ban on gatherings within and around the NBR premises, further escalating tensions.

The Council also criticized the formation of a six-member ordinance reform committee that excluded its representatives. They argued that appointing the second junior member — a former head of the now-defunct BCS (Taxation) Association — as chief coordinator was a deliberate move to allow the chairman to control the process through loyal subordinates.

Additional grievances included the unlawful transfer of a commissioner, controversial appointments to sensitive posts, and sudden reassignments of five senior tax officials without proper procedure. The chairman was also accused of deploying external groups to disrupt peaceful protests and using threats of punitive transfers to intimidate protesting staff, disrupting normal office functions and negatively impacting revenue collection.

The Council reminded that the current chairman previously served as Secretary of the Financial Institutions Division under the Awami League, during which period the financial sector faced several high-profile scandals, including those involving the S. Alam Group.

Declaring the chairman "unwelcome" at the Revenue Building, the Council reiterated its demands: his immediate removal, cancellation of politically motivated transfers, and reconstitution of the ordinance reform committee with Council participation.

Should these demands remain unmet by June 27, the Council warned it would launch a full and indefinite work stoppage across all income tax, VAT, and customs operations. International passenger services would remain unaffected, but such a shutdown could lead to major revenue losses, forcing the government to resort to costly borrowing that could fuel inflation and harm the private sector.