Fake Mobile Screenshot Fuels Feud at NBR
A fake mobile screenshot implicating top officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) is being circulated on social media, alleged to have been generated using an AI tool and a foreign-registered phone number to spread misinformation. In a press release issued on June 26 by NBR's Public Relations Officer Md. Al-Amin Sheikh, the board declared the screenshot to be fabricated and warned of legal action against those involved.
According to the statement, the screenshot falsely associated the NBR Chairman, Director General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Commission (CIC), and senior officials of the Tax Intelligence Unit. The NBR emphasized that spreading such false content is a serious criminal offense under Bangladeshi law. The board urged the public and media not to be misled by such deceptive visuals.
Meanwhile, in a press conference later that day, the NBR Reform Unity Council (NBR-SUP) sought intervention from Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus to resolve the ongoing administrative impasse within the board. The council stated that the continued agitation by officials demanding structural reforms and leadership changes has severely disrupted normal operations at the NBR.
The council reiterated its ultimatum, stating that if the current NBR Chairman Md. Abdur Rahmat Khan is not removed by June 27, they will shut down all customs and tax offices across the country indefinitely from June 28. It also announced a nationwide program titled “March Towards NBR” on the same day.
Council President Hasan Muhammad Tarek Rikabdar said, “At this moment, no meaningful reform is possible without the immediate removal of NBR Chairman Md. Abdur Rahmat Khan.”
Since Saturday, the council has been staging its second round of protests with four core demands, including the chairman’s dismissal. Amid worsening tensions, security forces cordoned off the NBR headquarters from 12:00 pm Thursday, restricting entry and exit. Despite the lockdown, council members continued their sit-in and pen-down programs inside the compound.
Earlier, on May 12, the government issued an ordinance splitting the NBR into two divisions. The move was opposed by customs, VAT, and income tax officials under the NBR, who held sit-ins and pen-down protests until May 26.
