The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has suspended Chittagong Custom House Commissioner (in-charge) Md Zakir Hossain for allegedly disobeying official instructions that resulted in the disruption of trade activities and significant revenue losses.
According to an NBR circular issued on Tuesday, Zakir violated a prior directive dated June 18, which ordered all revenue-related offices, including Customs, VAT, and Income Tax departments, to remain open on June 21 and June 28 (both Saturdays) to boost revenue collection.
Despite this instruction, the Chittagong Custom House remained closed on June 28 (Saturday) and June 29 (Sunday), causing disruptions in import and export activities and subsequent financial losses to the government.
Citing this breach, the NBR suspended him.
The order further states that Zakir will be entitled to a subsistence allowance as per government rules during his suspension.
The suspension has been issued in the interest of public service and takes immediate effect, the order signed by NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan states.
Revenue collection activities across the country have come to a near-complete halt due to an unprecedented shutdown of offices under the NBR, triggered by protests and non-cooperation from officials to press home their demands.
On June 28 and 29, key NBR wings, including Customs, VAT, and Income Tax, remained virtually inoperative due to the "complete shutdown" program and the "march to the NBR" program.
Officials, under the banner of the NBR Reform Unity Council, had called the protest programs, demanding the immediate removal of the chairman.
The NBR Reform Unity Council has been demonstrating with a series of protest programs, demanding structural reforms and the removal of the NBR chairman, citing allegations of administrative irregularities, officer intimidation, and obstruction of pro-reform efforts.
Since early June, the protesting officials have held work abstentions, disrupting services in tax, VAT, and customs offices across the country.
The protests began after the government issued an ordinance on May 12, dissolving the NBR and the Internal Resources Division, replacing them with the Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Management Division.