Kathmandu. Demanding the resignation of the Chairman of the National Revenue Board and policy reforms in the Board, the agitating parties have halted the revenue collection in Bangladesh.
The collection of income tax, value added tax and customs duty has come to a standstill due to the suspension of revenue collection. Import and export transactions from customs points have also come to a halt.
Security personnel of Bangladesh Border Guard, Police, Rapid Action Force and Coast Guard have taken control of the office of the National Revenue Board by keeping a tight security guard around the office of the National Revenue Board.
The National Revenue Board collects government revenue from all over the country. When the activities of the board are disrupted, the economic activities of the country are also disrupted. It affects the economy. The agitation has been going on since May 12 in such important government bodies. The agitation against the government’s move intensified soon after the government initiated the initiative for the reform of the Revenue Board.
According to Pratham Aloka, the agitating parties, which are involved in the board’s officials and employees, have demanded formulation of a revenue sector reform policy based on the participation of all parties and the dismissal of National Board Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan. The agitating parties have demanded that the employees of the revenue administration should be included in the newly formed department even if the board has been dissolved.
They also staged a sit-in and a meeting outside the Office of the National Revenue Board on Saturday. On Sunday, he threatened to continue the nationwide strike and demonstrations.
The government issued an ordinance on May 12 to abolish the National Revenue Board of Bangladesh and the Department of Internal Revenue and create the Department of Revenue Policy and Revenue Management, two departments. The government has issued this ordinance due to pressure from the International Monetary Fund. Bangladesh has taken a conditional loan of $4.7 billion from the fund to improve the revenue sector.
