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Published : 25 May 2025, 08:47 PM
Facing intense protests from within its ranks, the interim government has reversed its controversial decision to dissolve the National Board of Revenue (NBR), announcing instead that the agency will be restructured as an “independent and specialised” department.
The government’s retreat followed days of demonstrations led by NBR officers, who had demanded clarity and assurance regarding the institution's future.
The protests were officially called off on Sunday evening after the Ministry of Finance issued a statement confirming that the NBR would not be abolished.
In response, the NBR Reform Unity Council, which coordinated the protest movement, welcomed the announcement, calling it a step toward meaningful reform.
“It is now clear that the NBR will not be dismantled,” the council said in a statement. “Instead, it will be further empowered as a specialised and autonomous government entity.”
According to the finance ministry’s update, a separate, specialised body will be established to oversee revenue policy formulation. Additionally, the existing ordinance that had triggered widespread dissent will not be enacted until key amendments are made.
The Council praised the government’s renewed approach: “We appreciate this decision, which aligns with the vision for sustainable revenue reform. We also welcome the government's commitment to further consultations with the NBR, the Advisory Committee on Revenue Reforms, and other stakeholders.”
The Council added that Sunday’s decision signals a broader commitment to strengthening Bangladesh’s tax administration in line with international best practices.
“Bangladesh is now on course to building an independent and robust revenue agency of global standards,” it said.
According to the statement, the government’s announcement proved the legitimacy of their demands and programmes.
“In this context, the strike announced by the NBR Reform Unity Council from tomorrow [Monday] is being withdrawn,” it added.
The statement, however, mentioned that if the demand for the removal of the agency’s chairman is not met, “non-cooperation” with him will continue.
On May 12, the interim government issued the “Revenue Policy and Revenue Management Ordinance, 2025”, bifurcating the NBR.
From the next day onward, the staff of the country’s main revenue-collecting body carried out continuous programmes, including pen-down protests, sit-ins and work stoppages.
The government has set Jul 31 to present a revised ordinance. The ministry has promised to finalise the matter through discussions with the NBR, the advisory committee on revenue reforms and “key stakeholders”.
The ministry said that it had hoped that clarifying the government’s position in the different demands of the council in a pressnote on May 22 would clear the worries over tax, customs and VAT services.
A recent statement by the NBR unity council may have left the matter “ambiguous”, it said.
So the ministry added a three-point explanation to further clarify the government's position:
The notification said, “The government hopes that this announcement will end all the concerns of the officers and employees of the tax, customs and VAT departments and all the departments providing revenue collection and revenue services in the country will immediately start working at full swing.”
