Complete shutdown announced from Saturday for NBR chairman’s removal

The protesters on Monday announced a complete shutdown from Saturday to press home their demand for the removal of Abdur Rahman Khan, chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), branding him a provocateur of recent unrest in the central tax administration.

The NBR Reform Oikya Parishad announced the programme during a demonstration in front of the NBR office in the Agargaon area of Dhaka this afternoon.

Hasan Mohammad Tarek Rikabder and Sehela Siddiqua, president and secretary general respectively of the platform, jointly announced the programme, saying that the incumbent NBR chief is creating a volatile situation deliberately to implement an agenda of the previous Awami League government.

“The NBR chief is an instigator of division and disorder within the tax administration. He is working as an agent of the previous Awami League government,” they jointly alleged, while announcing the programme during a press conference.

Wearing burial clothes, the officials and employees of the tax administration started a sit-in and pen-down programme at the NBR headquarters in Dhaka around 9 am, demanding a logical reform in the administration.

On 26 May, the government announced that necessary amendments to the ordinance would be made through discussions by 31 July. As part of that process, a new committee was formed earlier today.

Earlier, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) imposed a ban on all kinds of gatherings, rallies and demonstrations from Shishu Mela to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) office and its surrounding areas with effect from Sunday, which will remain in place until further notice.