Officials and employees of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) have been observing a pen-down strike for the fourth consecutive day to press their demands, including the removal of the NBR chairman, disrupting tax and customs-related activities and affecting businesses.
Under the banner of the "NBR Reform Unity Council", the demonstrators began their protest at 12pm in front of the NBR headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka.
A large contingent of law enforcement personnel, including members of the army, police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and Border Guard Bangladesh, were deployed at the site.
Protesters alleged that no one was allowed to enter or exit the premises during the demonstration, with several employees sitting at the building's main gates.
Around 1:30pm, Council President Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabdar, an additional commissioner, tried to enter the NBR building but was blocked by law enforcers. In protest, he sat down in front of the main gate, further escalating the demonstration.
When contacted, Asif Mahmud, assistant commissioner of Tejgaon Division, DMP, said the protesting officers are themselves preventing the other officers from entering the building, and the police are just providing security.
Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed yesterday invited the protesting NBR officials and employees for a meeting.
However, the council declined the offer, saying it was not an "official invitation", and instead announced a "March to the NBR" programme for June 28.
Earlier, NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan acknowledged that he is in a difficult situation amid the ongoing demonstrations, particularly in terms of revenue collection and overall organisational functioning.
Speaking at an event organised by the Economic Reporters' Forum (ERF) in Dhaka, he said, "Naturally, our revenue collection is being hampered to some extent due to the ongoing movement."
Despite the challenges, Khan expressed hope that the crisis could be resolved through dialogue.
"To address the concerns raised by the officials, our adviser has already announced that an amendment will be made by July. Today at 5pm, we are scheduled to sit with them. We hope that a solution may be reached through this discussion," he added.
"We all should work for the country. Whatever reforms we undertake, whatever laws we enact, and even when we protest or fight for a cause, it should not be just for ourselves, but for the greater good of the nation," said the NBR chairman.
