14 NBR officials suspended over tearing up transfer orders in 'protest'

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has suspended six more officers after removing eight others over publicly tearing up transfer orders amid protests demanding the stepping down of Chairman Abdur Rahman.

Among the six latest suspensions, five are from the Customs Division and one from the Income Tax wing.

The Internal Resources Division, which oversees NBR, issued six separate orders announcing the suspensions on Tuesday.

Earlier the same day, eight officials from the Income Tax Division were similarly suspended through separate orders.

On Jun 22, five officers from the Income Tax Division were transferred “immediately” amid protests by the agency’s staff.

The following day, officials and employees held a press conference, denouncing the order as “vengeful and oppressive” before tearing it up in public.

The suspension decision was taken due to their "defiant behaviour" in tearing up the official order, and for those who supported such acts.

The suspended Customs officers are Sabuj Mia, revenue officer of Dhaka’s Customs Bond Commissionerate (North), Shafiul Bashar, revenue officer of Khulna’s Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate, Sefat E Mariam, deputy project director (additional commissioner) of Dhaka’s National Single Window Project, Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabdar, additional commissioner of Dhaka VAT Audit, Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, and Shahadat Jamil, second secretary of the NBR.

The suspended Tax official is Mirza Ashik Rana, additional tax commissioner of the Dhaka Tax Zone-8.

On Tuesday, the NBR suspended three officials for “disrespecting” the transfer order.

They are Mohammad Shihabul Islam, deputy commissioner of the Khulna Tax Zone, Nusrat Jahan Shomi, deputy commissioner of the Rangpur Tax Zone, and Imam Touhid Hasan Shakil, deputy commissioner of the Cumilla Tax Zone.

Five more officials were suspended for supporting them.

They are Masuma Khatun, joint tax commissioner of Dhaka Tax Zone-2; Murad Ahmed, joint tax commissioner of Tax Zone-15; Morshed Uddin Khan of the Kushtia Tax Zone; Monalisa Shahreen Sushmita, joint tax commissioner of the Noakhali Tax Zone; and Ashraful Alam Pradhan, joint tax commissioner of the Cox’s Bazar Tax Zone.

The protest followed a government ordinance issued in May that divided the NBR into two departments -- Revenue Management and Revenue Policy.

NBR staff launched demonstrations, including a pen strike, demanding that the ordinance be repealed.

On May 22, the finance ministry announced that “necessary amendments” would be made to the ordinance and that all NBR operations would continue under the existing structure until those changes were in place.

Despite the government’s response, employees initiated a fresh movement, demanding the resignation of the NBR chairman.

They declared him “undesirable” at the agency’s offices and raised several allegations against him.

On Jun 28, the protesters launched a “complete shutdown” of NBR operations, halting activities including import and export.

As the programme continued, the interim government announced that the agency’s services would be declared “essential”.

That same day, the government urged NBR employees to return to work and avoid actions deemed illegal or harmful to national interests.

Later, an advisory committee of five members was formed to address the crisis.

The shutdown was called off after mediation by business leaders and an agreement with the NBR Reform Unity Council, the platform leading the protest.

Soon after, the Anti-Corruption Commission opened investigations into 16 individuals identified as key figures in the protest movement.

The probe is being carried out in three phases.

Since the movement ended, three NBR members and one commissioner have been forced into retirement.

One customs commissioner has been temporarily suspended, and several others have been transferred.

11 CUSTOMS COMMISSIONERS TRANSFERRED

A total of 11 Customs cadre officers have been transferred and reassigned amid widespread fear of suspension, forced retirement, and transfer upon return to duty.

A separate notification issued by the NBR’s Customs and Excise Administration Division on Tuesday said the order will take effect “immediately”.

As part of the changes, Dhaka North Customs Bond Commissionerate Commissioner Khaled Mohammad Abu Hossain has been posted to Benapole Custom House, Rajshahi VAT Commissionerate Commissioner Abdul Hakim to Pangaon Custom House, National Single Window (NSW) Project Director Jewel Ahmed to Dhaka South VAT Commissionerate, Chattogram Customs, Excise and VAT Training Academy Director General (DG) AKM Nurul Huda Azad to the Duty Exemption and Drawback Office, and Cumilla VAT Commissionerate Commissioner Mahfuzul Haque Bhuiyan to Chattogram Customs Bond Commissionerate.

Alongside them, Dhaka-2 Customs, Excise and VAT (Appeals) Commissionerate Commissioner Khandaker Nazmul Haque has been appointed as DG of the NBR’s Research and Statistics Division, Rangpur VAT Commissionerate Commissioner Abu Nur Rashed Ahmed as DG of Chattogram’s Customs, Excise and VAT Training Academy, NBR’s Research and Statistics wing DG Arun Kumar Biswas as Rangpur VAT Commissionerate commissioner, Duty Exemption and Drawback Office DG Abdul Mannan Sardar as Cumilla VAT Commissionerate commissioner, Chattogram Customs Bond Commissionerate Commissioner Shafi Uddin to Chattogram Custom House, Pangaon Custom House Commissioner Mia Md Abu Obaidah to Dhaka North Customs Bond Commissionerate.

Previously, during a total “shutdown” protest across all Income Tax, VAT, and customs offices demanding the chairman’s removal, the then Chattogram Custom House commissioner was suspended for keeping the office closed.

At that time, Shafi Uddin was given additional responsibility for Chattogram Custom House. He has now been fully relieved of his bond duties and formally appointed as its commissioner.