After protest and administrative deadlock, operations at Dhaka Customs House resumed on Monday morning.
Officials returned to their regular duties, and all operational units, including export, import, and courier, were functioning as usual.
Barun Das, spokesperson of Dhaka Customs House, told Bangla Tribune: “Our operations returned to normal from this morning. Every official is back to their designated roles, and all units are currently operating smoothly.”
The resumption follows an agreement reached on Sunday between the government and the NBR Reform Unity Council, which had been leading demonstrations since mid-May.
The protests were sparked by the sudden issuance of the Revenue Policy and Revenue Management Ordinance, 2025 on the night of May 12.
Beginning May 14, employees across the customs, VAT, and income tax departments launched coordinated action programs under the council’s leadership, demanding:
Immediate repeal of the ordinance,
Removal of the NBR Chairman,
Public disclosure of recommendations by the Revenue Reform Advisory Committee, and
Sustainable reform through stakeholder consultation.
In a press release issued Sunday afternoon, the NBR Reform Unity Council said they welcomed the finance ministry’s announcement clarifying that the National Board of Revenue (NBR) would not be dissolved.
Instead, it would be strengthened as a specialized division under the government. They also expressed support for the decision to form a separate institution for revenue policy and to halt implementation of the ordinance until necessary amendments are made.
However, the council confirmed that while the overall movement has been withdrawn, their non-cooperation campaign targeting the NBR Chairman will continue.
A statement from the office of the Finance Adviser further noted that the revised ordinance—aimed at separating revenue policy from revenue management—will be finalized by July 31. Until then, the current ordinance will remain unenforced.
With this assurance, the protests were effectively suspended, allowing regular activities to resume at the customs house.