NBR officials and employees on Sunday announced they would observe indefinite work abstention from the next day to press home their four-point demand.

The strike would not affect the tax authority’s international travel services and the supply of medicines as well as life-saving equipment, members of the NBR Unity Council said at a press conference held in front of the head office in the capital.

At the press conference, tax officials, united under NBR Unity Council, asserted they were strong supporters of the government’s radical reform drive, but alleged certain vested groups were preventing their meaningful dialogue with the government for resolving disagreements.

Joint Tax Commissioner Shahrin Susmita, Deputy Commissioner Abdul Qayyum, and Deputy Tax Commissioner Roisun Nesa spoke at the press conference on behalf of NBR staff members.

On 12 May, the government issued a notification to split the NBR into two distinct units, almost immediately prompting the tax officials and employees to boycott works. The strikes entered the 13th day on Sunday.

On Sunday, most offices at NBR remained closed, and duty-related activities were suspended at major trading points including the Chattogram seaport, and the Benapole land port.

The four demands of NBR Unity Council are: scrapping the notification on splitting NBR, removing the current NBR chairman, publicly revealing the reform proposals of govt-appointed committee on website, and for ensuring lasting reforms, holding consultations with politicians, businesspeople, and civil society members on the reform proposals prepared both the NBR and govt-appointed committee.

On Sunday, during the press conference, the tax officials asserted they were in favour of radical reforms inside NBR and tax policies in line with “international best practices.”

The NBR Unity Council further alleged that the NBR chairman was actively obstructing their meaningful dialogue with the government.

“We do not understand why the government is yet to act on our legitimate demands—whether it is due to internal resistance, influence from specific individuals, or some other excuse,” it added.

As the government has not responded to their four-point demand, the Unity Council announced that its previously declared programs will continue.