The government has sent three members and one commissioner of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) into compulsory retirement, citing public interest under Section 45 of the Government Service Act 2018. Orders issued Wednesday by the Finance Ministry’s Internal Resources Division named the officials as Md Alamgir Hossain (Tax Intelligence and Investigation), Hossain Ahmad (Customs Policy), Dr Md Abdur Rouf (VAT Policy), and Acting Income Tax Commissioner Md Shabbir Ahmad, all of whom completed 25 years in service.
The move follows recent tensions within NBR, including Tuesday’s suspension of Chattogram Customs House Commissioner Md Zakir Hossain for disobeying directives during an officers’ shutdown program. Many NBR officials condemned the forced retirements, describing them as unjust and retaliatory amid ongoing protests against the government’s decision to split NBR into two entities without consultation. The protests, which escalated into a nationwide shutdown, led to the government declaring NBR jobs as essential services and banning strikes, while the Anti-Corruption Commission launched investigations into six protest leaders. Despite assurances from Finance Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed and NBR Chairman Abdul Rahman Khan to resolve disputes, concerns over the working environment remain high.
