A nationwide shutdown has brought operations at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to a complete standstill, with all customs activities—import and export procedures included—suspended across the country since Saturday morning.
From 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, no official work was carried out at the NBR headquarters in Dhaka. Offices and desks remained vacant as hundreds of officials and employees gathered outside the building, enforcing a continuous "shutdown" program.
Security personnel from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and Coast Guard were deployed in large numbers, barring entry or exit from the premises. All three main gates of the NBR building were locked.
The shutdown is part of the ongoing protest by NBR officials and staff demanding reforms in the revenue sector and the immediate removal of the NBR chairman.
Under the banner of the NBR Reform Unity Council, the movement kicked off the "March to NBR" program early Saturday.
Protesters from across the country assembled in front of the NBR headquarters in Dhaka to press for their demands.
As a result, customs operations have come to a halt at all major points, including Chattogram Port, Benapole, and Dhaka Customs House. This includes the suspension of all customs clearance related to imports and exports.
The shutdown comes at a crucial time—the end of June, which marks the close of the fiscal year and a period of intensified revenue collection.
Despite previous announcements to keep customs offices open nationwide to meet fiscal targets, officials involved in the protest have withdrawn from duties.
Authorities have reinforced security measures around the NBR headquarters in anticipation of further escalation.
Uniformed personnel have taken control of the premises, while protest leaders maintain that their demands must be addressed through inclusive reforms and leadership changes within the revenue administration.
The protestors have declared that the shutdown will continue indefinitely until their core demands are met.
