The full-fledged nationwide strike enforced by officers and employees of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to press home their four-point demand entered its second day on Sunday.
The strike, which began at all Income Tax, Customs, and VAT offices at 9am, will continue until 5pm, keeping the Customs Houses and LC Stations out of its purview.
The officials, under the banner of the NBR Reform Unity Council, have threatened to continue their protests until all their demands are met.
Their demands include repealing the ordinance to dissolve the NBR, removing its chairman, publishing the Revenue Reform Advisory Committee’s recommendations on the NBR website, and ensuring appropriate and sustainable revenue system reforms through review and discussion with all relevant stakeholders.
The NBR Reform Unity Council initiated the strike on April 29 in response to the interim government's proposed restructuring of the NBR.
Following the initial protests, several hundred officials from tax zones in Dhaka participated in demonstrations at the NBR headquarters.
They met with NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan to express their concerns and urge revisions to the proposed ordinance.
The government proceeded with the reforms, officially dissolving the NBR and establishing two separate entities, the Revenue Policy Division (RPD) and the Revenue Management Division (RMD), on May 13, 2025.
This action intensified unrest among revenue officials, who viewed the move as undermining their roles and the integrity of the tax administration system.
They began a pen-down strike on May 14, which was later suspended on Monday.
On Wednesday, they announced a series of new programs, including ongoing non-cooperation with the NBR chairman, to press home their demands.