The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association urged its members to submit details of financial losses caused by the ‘complete shutdown’ programme observed by employees of the customs, VAT, and tax departments.
The employees of the National Board of Revenue observed a complete shutdown programme on June 28 and 29 across the country as a part of their about 1.5-month-long protests against the government›s decision to restructure the NBR.
In a notice issued on August 7, the BGMEA stated that the Ministry of Finance’s Internal Resources Division has formed an inter-ministerial committee, with the BGMEA as a member, to assess the economic impact of the complete shutdown.
As per the committee’s decision on August 4, the BGMEA requested its members to submit their loss assessments using the prescribed format provided by the BGMEA.
BGMEA noted that the information will be used to support the committee’s activities in addressing the matter.
NBR officials had held protest programmes against the restructuring of the revenue board, and their protests intensified after the interim government introduced the Revenue Policy and Revenue Management Ordinance 2025 on May 12.
The splitting led to protests, including pen-down strikes, sit-ins, and non-cooperation, for nearly one and a half months, including a march to the NBR and a ‘complete shutdown’ in June 28-29.
According to businesses, the protests severely hampered customs operations and cargo clearance processes, and they also hindered revenue collection and export-import activities in the final month of the 2024-25 financial year.
Earlier, on June 28, in a press conference, Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, stated that a complete shutdown of operations disrupted import and export activities worth approximately Tk 2,500 crore each day, thereby increasing the risk of losing orders.
On July 16, the government formed an inter-ministerial committee to assess the economic losses caused by the protests and complete shutdowns of employees in the customs, VAT, and tax departments under the National Board of Revenue.
According to a notification issued by the Internal Resources Division under the Ministry of Finance, the nine-member committee will assess the revenue loss incurred due to the closure of the Chattogram Customs House for two days in June 28-29.