On the eighth day of protests against the proposed splitting of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), tax and customs operations across Bangla-desh have come to a standstill, with import activities halted and most field offices, including the NBR headquarters in Dhaka's Agargaon, completely shut.
Since Saturday morning, officials and employees of all tax zones, customs houses, and VAT commissionerates have staged sit-ins beneath the NBR headquarters. The protesters, under the banner of the 'NBR Reform Unity Council,' have declared that the work stoppage will continue until their demands are met.
The protest has spread nationwide, with no operations being conducted at customs houses or services provided at tax and VAT offices. However, officials have confirmed that export and international passenger services remain outside the scope of the strike.
Demands include the removal of the NBR chairman, scrapping of the 'Revenue Policy and Revenue Management Ordinance,' public disclosure of the Revenue Reform Advisory Committee's recommendations, and inclusive dialogue with stakeholders to ensure sustainable reform.
To prevent unrest, law enforcement - including police, army, RAB, and BGB - have been deployed in large numbers around the NBR premises. Staff are required to show ID to enter. Protesters say the NBR chairman is expected to appear, prompting heightened security on government instruction.
Full-scale work stoppages will continue through May 25, expanding to all revenue offices except international passenger services from May 26.
