Following the suspension of Chittagong Custom House Commissioner Md Zakir Hossain, the government has sent 3 members of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and 1 tax commissioner into retirement.
The matter was confirmed in 4 separate notifications issued by the Internal Resources Division (IRD) on Wednesday, in the afternoon.
The officials sent into retirement are NBR members Alamgir Hossain, Hossain Ahmed, and Abdur Rouf, and Md Shabbir Ahmed, who was serving as the Commissioner of the Barisal Tax Region.
According to the notifications, the government has retired them in public interest under Section 45 of the Government Service Act, 2018. The decision has been taken as they have completed 25 years in service. They will receive retirement benefits as per regulations.
However, several NBR officials believe that, in the context of the recent "complete shutdown" movement by customs and tax officials, this retirement order could be a punitive measure.
On Saturday and Sunday, under the banner of the "NBR Reform Unity Council," customs and tax officials and employees observed a 2 day shutdown demanding reforms in the revenue sector. Activities at customs and tax offices, including Chittagong Custom House, came to a standstill as a result.
In continuation of this movement, the IRD issued an order at midnight on Tuesday, suspending Chittagong Custom House Commissioner Md Zakir Hossain.
The order stated that he had disrupted import-export operations and caused significant revenue losses by closing the office in defiance of government instructions.
A departmental investigation will be carried out against him, and appropriate action will follow. During the suspension period, he will receive subsistence allowance as per regulations.
At the same time, Md Shafi Uddin, Commissioner of the Chittagong Customs Bond Commissionerate, has been newly appointed as the commissioner of Chittagong Custom House.
Chittagong Custom House is the top revenue-earning office in the country. In the outgoing 2024–25 fiscal year, nearly Tk75,000 crore in revenue was collected through this office.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched separate investigations into allegations of bribery and harassment against 11 NBR officials. Among the accused are two NBR members and Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabdar, president of the NBR Reform Unity Council.
Those involved view these recent punitive measures as responses to the ongoing crisis within the NBR and the push for structural reforms.