STAR BUSINESS REPORT

Officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) have threatened an indefinite nationwide shutdown from Saturday unless the NBR chairman is removed and recent transfer orders for revenue officials are revoked.

The NBR Reform Unity Council, a platform of protesting staff from the tax, customs, and VAT departments, made the announcement yesterday at a press briefing at the revenue headquarters in the Agargaon area of Dhaka.

The declaration came after a three-hour pen-down strike.

This latest wave of protests follows more than 10 days of demonstrations last month, when officials across the country voiced opposition to the government’s decision to separate revenue policy from implementation.

Yesterday, revenue officials observed a three-hour work stoppage and sit-ins, wearing burial shrouds to draw attention to their grievances.

The council said pen-down strikes and sit-ins would continue today, tomorrow, and Thursday.

It accused the NBR chairman of “trying to destabilise” both the country and the revenue system.

“The expected NBR reform is not possible