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Dhaka, June 26, 2025: The main gate of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, has been sealed off, preventing leaders of the NBR Reform Unity Council from entering the premises. As of Thursday (June 26) noon, law enforcement personnel have restricted access to the NBR headquarters, prohibiting anyone from entering or exiting. The situation has left the NBR office in a state of lockdown.
Leaders of the NBR Reform Unity Council, including its president and Additional Commissioner Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabdar, were barred from entering the NBR premises. They were informed that the issues would be resolved through discussions. Speaking on the matter, Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabdar said, “We will decide collectively to join discussions if invited by the Finance Adviser. We are conducting our movement lawfully. Why am I being denied entry to my own office? We have not engaged in any unrest. The reality is, we have not been invited to any discussions. Those invited today are representatives of the tax and customs cadres, nominated by the NBR Chairman, who are not involved in the movement and have attempted to obstruct it.”
He further noted that the Finance Adviser had called for a meeting with representatives of BCS (Tax) and CCS (Customs and Excise) cadres at 5 PM today. However, these representatives were selected by the NBR Chairman and are allegedly not associated with the ongoing movement, having even tried to hinder it.
On the previous day (June 25), the NBR Reform Unity Council announced a “March to NBR” program alongside a “complete shutdown” starting June 28 to press for their single-point demand of removing the NBR Chairman. In a press conference, the council stated that the Finance Adviser had invited representatives for discussions, but their past experience with such talks was far from satisfactory. On May 20, a meeting with the Finance Adviser included 26 participants, including 13 from the Reform Unity Council, but their representatives were given only 10 minutes to speak, and the discussions yielded no meaningful results. The Finance Adviser later claimed the talks were fruitful, a statement the council disputed.
The movement’s key demands include the removal of the NBR Chairman, the repeal of the “Revenue Policy and Revenue Management Ordinance, 2025,” and ensuring transparency and stakeholder involvement in the reform process. The protesters have vowed to continue their programs until their demands are met.
