The Dhaka Metropolitan Police has slapped a ban on all kinds of gatherings, including meeting, rally, procession and demonstration, in and around the offices of National Board of Revenue and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority in the capital鈥檚 Agargaon area.
The ban prohibits all forms of gatherings from Shishu Mela at Shyamali to the NBR and BIDA offices on Agargaon Road, according to a public notice, issued on Saturday, signed by DMP commissioner Sheikh Sajjat Ali.
On Saturday, the protesting NBR officials under听 the banner of 鈥楴BR Reform Unity Council鈥� announced a fresh pen-down strike and demonstration from tomorrow at all NBR offices across the country, said a press release issued by the platform.
The ban will come into effect from 6:00am today听 and will remain in place until further order.
The restriction comes after NBR officials recently held protest rallies on the revenue board premises against the government move to split the organisation into two divisions.
The NBR officials made the announcement at a press conference at the NBR headquarters in the capital Dhaka on Saturday afternoon and demanded the removal of the NBR chairman.
The protesting officials also demanded the inclusion of representatives from the unity council platform in the committee formed by the government to amend the new NBR reform ordinance that split the revenue board.
They said that the committee, composed of six members from the NBR鈥檚 tax, customs, and VAT wings, was formed without any consultation with the unity council or inclusion of representatives from the council.
They also demanded a halt to what they described as 鈥榲engeful transfers and repression鈥� by the administration.
They said that officials under the platform would conduct a pen-down strike and sit-in at the NBR headquarters and all its field offices across the country from 9:00am to 12:00 noon starting on June 23.
On Saturday, the platform also announced a 301-member committee, naming additional commissioner of customs Hasan Mohammad Tarek Rikabder as president and additional commissioner of taxes Sohela Siddika as secretary general.
The DMP public notice said that the directive was issued under section 29 of the DMP Ordinance for the sake of maintaining public order.
The DMP has recently imposed such a ban in a number of other areas in the capital, citing the same purpose, following rallies and demonstrations in those areas over various demands from different groups, including government employees.
On June 8, it issued a ban on all kinds of gatherings near the Bangladesh secretariat and the chief adviser鈥檚 official residence, state guest house Jamuna.
On May 17, the DMP imposed such a ban in the areas adjacent to Kochukhet Road, Bijoy Sarani, the Chief Adviser鈥檚 Office, Birsreshtho Shaheed Jahangir Gate, BAF Shaheen College, Mohakhali Flyover, Sainik Club crossing, Bhashantek, Matikata and ECB Chattwar.
On June 12, it issued such a ban in the areas near chief justice鈥檚 official residence, the Judges鈥� Complex, the main gates of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, the entrances to International Crimes Tribunals 1 and 2, Mazar Gate, Jame Masjid Gate and in front of the Judicial Administration Training Institute, effective from June 14.
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