Protesting officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) have rejected both the Ministry of Finance’s appeal for dialogue and the tax agency’s threats of disciplinary action, vowing to carry on with their planned “March to NBR” demonstration. The NBR Reform Unity Council, the platform leading the movement, announced on Friday that officials from tax, customs, and VAT offices nationwide will begin the march towards Dhaka on Saturday. After the meeting, NBR chief Abdur Rahman Khan told reporters that a solution could be reached “as soon as today” if a decision from the protesters arrived. Despite these remarks expressing hope, the NBR Reform Unity Council has stood firm on its demands. We reiterate that the NBR Reform Unity Council is ready to sit for discussions with the advisor at any time to resolve the crisis.”They also emphasised that the absence of their representatives at Thursday’s meeting resulted from not being invited, rejecting any implication of unwillingness to negotiate.
