Staff Correspondent:

The full-fledged nationwide strike enforced by officers and employees of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) is underway peacefully on Saturday, as they press for their four-point demand.

The strike enforced by NBR Reform Unity Council began in the morning at all offices of the Tax, Customs and VAT Departments, keeping the Customs Houses and LC Stations out of its purview.

The officials threatened to continue their protests until their all demands are met.

Their demands are repealing the ordinance to dissolve the NBR, removal of its chairman, publication of the Revenue Reform Advisory Committee’s recommendations on the NBR website, and ensuring appropriate and sustainable revenue system reforms through review and discussion with all relevant stakeholders.

Amid the growing tensions, members of the army and police were deployed outside the NBR headquarters in the capital on  Saturday morning.

The NBR Reform Unity Council on Wednesday announced a series of new programmes, including ongoing non-cooperation with the NBR chairman, to press home their demands.

A sit-in programme was held at the NBR and its offices in and outside Dhaka on Thursday.

The NBR Reform Unity Council started pen-down on 14 May and suspended its on 19 May following a government proposal for dialogue, initiated under the directive of the Chief Adviser.