The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has suspended Commissioner (in-charge) of Chattogram Custom House Md Zakir Hossain for allegedly disobeying official instructions that resulted in disruption of trade activities and significant revenue losses.

According to an NBR circular issued on Monday (July 1), Zakir Hossain violated a prior directive dated June 18, 2025, which ordered all revenue-related offices, including Customs, VAT and Income Tax departments, to remain open on June 21 and June 28 (both Saturdays) to boost revenue collection.

Despite this instruction, the Chattogram Custom House remained closed on June 28 (Saturday) and June 29 (Sunday), causing disruptions in import and export activities, and subsequent financial losses to the government.

Citing this breach, the NBR has suspended him.

The order further states that Zakir Hossain will be entitled to subsistence allowance as per government rules during his suspension.

Forget protests and move forward: NBR chairman tells staff as work resumes

The suspension has been issued in the interest of public service and it takes immediate effect, the order signed by NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan says.

Revenue collection activities across the country have come to a near-complete halt due to an unprecedented shutdown of offices under the National Board of Revenue (NBR), triggered by protests and non-cooperation from officials to press home their demands.

On June 28 and 29, key NBR wings, including Customs, VAT and Income Tax, have remained virtually inoperative due to the 'complete shutdown' programme and 'march for NBR' programme.

The officials, under the banner of NBR Reform Unity Council, had called the protest programmes, demanding the immediate removal of its chairman.

The NBR Reform Unity Council had been demonstrating with a series of protest programmes demanding structural reforms and the removal of the NBR chairman citing allegations of administrative irregularities, officer intimidation and obstruction of pro-reform efforts.

Since early June, the agitating officials held work abstentions disrupting services in tax, VAT and customs offices across the country.

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The protests began after the government issued an ordinance on May 12 dissolving the NBR and the Internal Resources Division, replacing them with the Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Management Division.