NBR Unity Council seek CA's intervention to resolve dissolution crisis
The protesters clarified that they did not reject a meeting with the finance adviser, saying that they were never formally invited to any such discussion
Amid ongoing protests over the dissolution of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), agitating NBR officials and employees under the banner of NBR Reform Unity Council have called for the Chief Adviser's direct intervention to resolve the crisis.
At a press conference today (26 June) in front of NBR headquarters, the protesters clarified that they did not reject a meeting with the finance adviser.
"It's not that we declined any invitation for talks. The truth is, we were never formally invited to any such discussion," they said, adding that the question of joining talks does not arise without a formal invitation.
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Speaking at the conference, Hasan Muhammad Tareq Rikabder, president of NBR Reform Unity Council, said, "If the NBR chairman is not removed by 27 June, all services — except for international passenger services — will be suspended indefinitely from 28 June, including import and export operations."
Sehela Siddiqua, secretary general of council also spoke the briefing.
On 24 June, officials from various NBR offices in the capital gathered at the NBR headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, demanding the immediate resignation of Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan along with other demands.
Protesters have accused the chairman of obstructing meetings, forming a controversial committee to amend the NBR ordinance, and irregularly transferring officials involved in protests.
The council, leading the movement, has set a deadline of 27 June to meet their demands.
These include the resignation of the chairman, stopping the transfer of officials involved in protests, and removing controversial members from the committee formed to amend the ordinance.
The current wave of protests has intensified since the government issued an ordinance on 12 May, abolishing the NBR and the Internal Resources Division and introducing two new entities — the Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Management Division.
Following the ordinance, NBR officials began a pen-down strike, which was suspended on 19 May. On 21 May, they declared ongoing non-cooperation with the NBR chairman and announced further programs to press their demands.
