After nearly six weeks of disruption, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has begun restoring normal operations across its offices nationwide.
Following the withdrawal of the ongoing movement, officials started returning to their workplaces late Sunday night, with full-scale activity becoming visible from Monday morning.
The announcement to end the protest came after a meeting between top business leaders and representatives of the NBR Reform Unity Council at the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) in Dhaka’s Tejgaon area.
Following this, employees resumed work at the NBR headquarters in Agargaon as well as customs, VAT, and tax offices throughout the country.
A senior NBR official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the resumption of activities has brought relief across the board. File processing and document verification began in earnest at the head office early Monday.
The NBR Reform Unity Council had led the protest for over a month and a half, demanding the removal of the NBR chairman and administrative reforms. The prolonged shutdown, strikes, and sit-in protests had severely impacted revenue collection and administrative functions.
Business groups reported significant setbacks in import and export activities due to delays in customs clearance, which in turn affected government revenue negatively. The Bangladesh Chamber of Industries, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), and other trade bodies had repeatedly urged a swift resolution.
Sources confirm that, along with Dhaka, customs houses and tax offices in Chittagong, Khulna, Sylhet, and other cities have also returned to normal operations as of Monday. Officials are now prioritizing the clearance of pending files and urgent revenue procedures.
Experts suggest that the normalization of NBR operations will restore positive momentum in trade, the business environment, and revenue generation. However, they emphasize the urgent need for administrative and structural reforms to prevent future disruptions.
