No meeting with NBR officials today: Finance adviser

Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed has confirmed that there will be no meeting today (29 June) with the agitating officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

He also indicated uncertainty over whether the scheduled meeting on 1 July will take place, saying that a decision on that will be made later.

Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Finance around 2:30pm today, Salehuddin said, "If the officials wish to continue their shutdown program, they may do so."

The finance adviser further said that the issue of the ongoing protests by NBR officials was discussed during today's meeting of the Advisory Council.

"A press statement will be issued later regarding the matter," he added.

According to sources at the Ministry of Finance, the decision not to hold talks with the protesting NBR officials was taken during the Advisory Council meeting earlier in the day.

Officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), under the banner of the NBR Reform Unity Council, continued their 'complete shutdown' for the second consecutive day today, demanding the immediate removal of the NBR chairman.

The protesters staged a sit-in in front of the NBR headquarters in Agargaon in the morning, while a large contingent of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and police personnel were deployed inside the building.

The Unity Council has been staging a series of protest programmes, demanding structural reforms and the removal of the NBR chairman, citing allegations of administrative irregularities, officer intimidation and obstruction of pro-reform efforts.

Since early June, the agitating officials have observed work abstentions, hunger strikes and human chains, disrupting services in tax, VAT and customs offices across the country.

The protest 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.