Staff Reporter :
In response to recent protest programmes by employees of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the Internal Resources Division (IRD) under the Ministry of Finance has established a nine-member committee to assess the broader economic impact of disruptions to revenue operations and trade activity.
A notification issued on Wednesday confirmed that Syed Robiul Islam, Joint Secretary of the IRD, will chair the committee. Other members include deputy secretary-level representatives from the Ministries of Finance, Commerce, and Industries, as well as officials from the Chattogram Port Authority, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), and the NBR itself.
The committee has been instructed to submit a comprehensive report within 30 days, evaluating the financial implications of halted services at land and seaports, interruptions in tax collection, and delays in import-export operations across the country.
Preliminary assessments from industry stakeholders suggest the two-month-long protests by NBR personnel have led to significant revenue shortfalls.
The government typically collects around Tk 6,000 crore in Value Added Tax (VAT) each month. If even 10-15 percent of this collection was affected, the resulting loss could range between Tk 1,200 and Tk 1,800 crore per month – amounting to an estimated Tk 3,600 crore over the protest period.
In one notable incident, operations at the Chattogram Customs House were suspended on 28 and 29 June, effectively paralysing the country’s largest port. Around 4,500 containers faced clearance delays, resulting in direct financial losses estimated at Tk 200 crore due to demurrage charges, shipping delays, and logistical congestion.
Both exporters and importers were adversely affected, particularly within the ready-made garment (RMG) sector, which accounts for over 84% of the country’s total export earnings.
The committee is also expected to produce a detailed analysis of revenue losses across various departments, including Customs, VAT, Excise, and Income Tax offices nationwide.
In a separate development, the government has suspended Mokitul Hasan, Second Secretary of Customs Policy at the NBR, for allegedly leaking classified government documents. Hasan has been made an Officer on Special Duty (OSD), and disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against him for breaching civil service conduct regulations.
This move comes as the government intensifies efforts to restore integrity and operational discipline within the NBR, amid mounting scrutiny over the authority’s internal governance and functionality.
