The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has intensified its actions against officers and employees involved in an ongoing internal reform movement. Following a recent incident where officials tore up transfer orders in protest, seven more employees were suspended on Wednesday. In parallel, the government has formed an inter-ministerial committee to assess the financial impact of the protests on revenue collection.
According to an official order issued by Ummay Ayman Kashmir, Second Secretary of NBR’s Board Administration Division, the suspended individuals include Lokman Hossain from Tax Zone-2, Nazmul Hasan and Abdullah Al Mamun from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Unit in Dhaka, Assistant Revenue Officers Saleha Khatun Sathi and Roushan Ara Akhter, BM Sabuj—Senior Assistant from Tax Zone-14, and Sipahi Salek Khan from the Customs, Excise, and VAT Commissionerate of Dhaka South. The order also instructed immediate enforcement by the respective departments.
With these latest actions, the total number of suspensions or forced retirements due to the reform protests has risen to 27. Just a day earlier, 14 senior officials—including the leader of the NBR Reform Unity Council, Additional Tax Commissioner Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabdar—were suspended on similar grounds. Additionally, an NBR security guard, Md. Selim Mia from Tax Zone-10, was suspended for allegedly making derogatory remarks about NBR Chairman Md. Abdur Rahman via WhatsApp.
Earlier this month, Chattogram Customs House Commissioner Md. Zakir Hossain was placed on forced retirement on July 1, followed by four more tax and customs officials on July 2. Their vacant positions have reportedly already been filled through promotions.
Inter-Ministerial Committee Formed to Evaluate Revenue Loss
In light of ongoing disruptions, the Internal Resources Division (IRD) under the Ministry of Finance has set up a nine-member inter-ministerial committee to evaluate the financial and economic losses caused by the protests. Joint Secretary Syed Robiul Islam will head the committee, which includes representatives from the Ministries of Finance, Commerce, Industry, and Shipping, as well as the NBR, FBCCI, and BGMEA. A Deputy Secretary of the IRD will act as the member secretary.
The committee will determine the estimated revenue shortfall caused by the two-day closure (June 28–29) of the Chattogram Customs House, as well as the overall revenue losses from protest-related disruptions over the past two months across various NBR offices. It will also assess how customs clearance delays and interruptions in land and seaport operations have affected the economy. A full report is to be submitted within 30 days.
