The government has sent three members and one commissioner of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) into compulsory retirement, citing public interest.
The Internal Resources Division (IRD) of the Finance Ministry issued separate orders on Wednesday confirming the decision.
The officials are Md Alamgir Hossain, member (Tax Intelligence and Investigation), Hossain Ahmad, member (Customs Policy), Dr Md Abdur Rouf, member (VAT Policy), and Acting Income Tax Commissioner Md Shabbir Ahmad.
According to the notifications, all four have completed 25 years in government service, and under Section 45 of the Government Service Act 2018, the government deemed it necessary to retire them in the public interest.
Just a day earlier, on Tuesday, the NBR suspended Chattogram Customs House Commissioner Md Zakir Hossain. The action was taken after the customs house was locked during the NBR officers’ “complete shutdown” program. An order signed by NBR Chairman Md Abdul Rahman Khan said Zakir Hossain had disobeyed government directives by keeping the office closed.
Many NBR officials have condemned the forced retirements and suspensions, calling them unjust and retaliatory. A joint commissioner told local media, “There’s no question about their integrity. So why are they being punished like this?”
He added, “The Finance Advisor said return to work, and we did so following the business community’s mediation. Even the NBR Chairman said we would all work together. If this still happens, where is the working environment?”
An additional commissioner said he was “shocked,” adding, “When we were kids, teachers used to beat us without listening. We could not say anything because they were teachers. Likewise, we can’t say anything to the government, but this is not the right decision.”
The crisis began on May 12 when, without consulting stakeholders, the government issued an ordinance splitting the NBR into two distinct entities: Revenue Management and Revenue Policy. In protest, NBR officials launched a series of demonstrations. Although talks resumed later and staff returned to work, many continued to demand the removal of the NBR Chairman. Last weekend, officials staged a “complete shutdown,” halting operations across tax offices, customs houses, and VAT commissionerates nationwide.
In response, the government on Monday declared all NBR jobs as “essential services,” effectively banning such strikes. On the same day, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) announced investigations into six officials active in the protests over alleged bribery and financial irregularities. That evening, NBR officials met with top business leaders and agreed to withdraw their agitation.
Finance Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed had then assured, “There will be no problem if you just work.” The following day, NBR Chairman Abdul Rahman Khan publicly urged everyone to move past the disputes and focus on revenue collection.
However, when contacted by phone on Wednesday for comments on the retirements, NBR Chairman Khan declined to answer and disconnected the call.
