Concerns are mounting over the government’s recent move to dissolve and split the National Board of Revenue (NBR) into two separate entities — Revenue Policy and Revenue Administration — under the newly issued Revenue Policy and Revenue Administration Ordinance, 2025.

Speaking at a roundtable on NBR reforms held in Dhaka’s Gulshan area on Saturday, Farid Uddin, a member of the NBR Reform Committee, warned that the decision could have “disastrous” implications if driven by resentment rather than proper reform strategy.

“If this move stems from animosity or is a mistake, it will lead to a far worse situation than what we have now,” Farid cautioned.

The roundtable was jointly organized by the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and the Policy Exchange of Bangladesh (PEB).

Farid Uddin expressed dissatisfaction that the committee’s original recommendations were not properly reflected in the ordinance. He also stated that the coordination between the newly proposed departments could become a bureaucratic nightmare if not handled correctly.

Government Faces Pushback

On May 12, the government issued the ordinance dissolving the NBR, triggering immediate protests from revenue officials. Employees began work stoppages and pen-down strikes, demanding that senior positions be filled from the BCS (Tax) and BCS (Customs & Excise) cadres — not from the general administration cadre.

In response, the government temporarily paused implementation of the ordinance and promised revisions. The revised ordinance reportedly includes provisions for appointing experienced officials to lead the two new departments.

A total of 11 amendments have been proposed to the original ordinance.

Business Community Voices Concern

Former MCCI president Nihad Kabir expressed confusion over the sudden structural changes, questioning whether this is the kind of reform the business community had sought.

“We suddenly saw the NBR being dismantled. We don’t know how this will work or if this is even the reform we wanted,” she said.

Mashrur Reaz, Chairman of Policy Exchange Bangladesh, echoed similar concerns. While praising the efforts of the reform committee, he pointed to a lack of interest within the government to implement the committee’s recommendations.

“If this separation isn’t effective, businesses will face a two-step hassle instead of one,” he warned.

Call for Political Commitment

Former NBR chairman and committee member Mohammad Abdul Mazid stressed the need for strong political commitment to carry out reforms.

“Without political will, even the best recommendations will remain unimplemented,” he said.

Way Forward

Committee members urged the business community to thoroughly review the reform documents and actively voice their opinions to the government and media. They emphasized the importance of participatory feedback to ensure reforms are effective and aligned with stakeholder interests.