Govt sends 4 senior NBR officials on forced retirement
All four officials have completed 25 years in service, says the IRD notification
The government has sent four senior officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) on forced retirement.
The officials are Dr Md Abdur Rouf, member (current charge) of VAT Policy; Hossain Ahmed, member (grade-2) of Customs Policy and ICT; Alamgir Hossain, member (Tax) (Grade-2); and Md Shabbir Ahmed, tax commissioner (current charge) of Barishal Tax Region.
The Internal Resources Division (IRD) of the Ministry of Finance issued a notification today (2 July) regarding the NBR officials' forced retirement under Section 45 of the Government Service Act 2018.
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According to the notification, all four officials have completed 25 years in service, making them eligible for forced retirement under government rules.
They will receive retirement benefits in accordance with existing regulations.
This move comes a day after the suspension of the commissioner of Custom House, Chattogram (CHC) for allegedly disrupting customs operations by participating in the "complete shutdown" of NBR officials.
The NBR unrest
The protest by NBR officials began after the government issued an ordinance on 12 May dissolving the NBR and the Internal Resources Division, replacing them with the Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Management Division.
NBR officials allege that the ordinance was a strategic move to shift the authority of the revenue department under the control of the administration cadre. The protesting officials held NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan responsible and demanded his removal.
At the peak of the movement on 28 and 29 June, all operations at customs houses, VAT offices, and income tax offices were shut down nationwide, except for essential services at airports.
Following the disruption, the government adopted a hardline stance and declared all NBR jobs as essential services. Although many officials have since returned to work under pressure, punitive actions have started to emerge.
So far, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched investigations against 11 officials in two phases, creating a new wave of concern and dissatisfaction among NBR personnel.
Sources at the NBR anticipate that more officials may face dismissal or other disciplinary measures in the coming days.
