NBR Reform Unity Council announces fresh round of pen-down strike for Monday to press demands

NBR Reform Unity Council, a platform of National Board of Revenue (NBR) officials, have announced a fresh round of pen-down strike for Monday, demanding their inclusion in reforms of the institution.

The platform pressed for their demands of removing NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan from the position, and inclusion of the platform's representatives to the process of dissolving the NBR into separate divisions Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Management Division.

"Officers and employees of all departments in Dhaka will observe a sit-in programme and pen-down programme from 9am to 12pm at their respective offices," said the platform at a press briefing at Agargaon Revenue Building today (21 June).

It said it has refrained from opting for any more stringent programme at the momenty, given the critical nature of revenue collection as the fiscal year comes to a close.

Later in the day, in a media release, the platform stated that a meeting of the NBR Reform Unity Council was held at the Revenue Building at 5pm in the presence of representatives of all levels of officials and employees of the tax, customs and VAT departments.

The meeting gave final approval to form a 301-member ad hoc committee of the NBR Reform Unity Council, comprising representatives of all levels of officials and employees, with Additional Commissioner Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabder as the president and Additional Tax Commissioner Sehela Siddika as the general secretary, said the release.