NBR officials return to work as protest prog withdrawn

The protest programme by officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been officially withdrawn, with employees returning to their desks at the NBR headquarters in Agargaon on Monday (June 30) morning.

Where chants, rallies, and media crowds dominated the scene a day earlier, the main gate of the NBR now stands quiet. Posters demanding reform have been taken down, and security presence has visibly reduced.

For several days, NBR officials had observed a pen-down strike, followed by a complete work stoppage and a protest programme titled "March for NBR", demanding the resignation of the NBR chairman and participatory reforms in the revenue system.

However, the protest came to a halt after the Unity Council for NBR Reforms announced the withdrawal of the movement on Sunday evening (June 29). Work resumed across departments on Monday morning.

During a visit to the NBR premises in the afternoon, many officials were seen exchanging stories from the past few days. While some acknowledged that their demands were justified, others expressed concern about potential transfers or disciplinary action following the protest.

“None of us acted alone,” said one official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Most employees support participatory reform. The proposal to turn the NBR into a department is completely unacceptable. Now that an advisory committee has been formed, we’ll see what steps they take.”

The protest had disrupted regular services, with low public attendance reported in recent days. However, there was a modest return of service-seekers on Monday.

Aminul Islam, who came to the NBR to complete pending work, said: “There was urgent work over the past few days, but I avoided coming because of the unrest. I came today and received the service. Still, it's not right to cause suffering to the public, though the government should also respond to valid demands.”

NBR officials initially began their movement with a pen-down strike, later escalating into a full work stoppage and march. The protests affected revenue collection, and hampered import-export processes.

The government responded by forming a high-level advisory committee to address the concerns. Its firm stance, along with the committee’s formation, eventually led to the suspension of the protest programme from Monday.