DHAKA, Oct 8, 2025 (BSS) - National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Abdur 
Rahman khan today said that the government is working to make the country's tax 
system more transparent, technology-driven, and business-friendly with 
digitalization and reform of tax laws remaining as top priorities.

"Digitalization and reform of tax laws remain top priorities to bring 
discipline and efficiency to the revenue administration. We are trying hard 
to make everything digital so that it will be very and very difficult-next to 
impossible-to tamper with the system in the coming days," he said.

Rahman said this while addressing a "Meet the Business" event hosted by the 
NBR for the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) at 
the Revenue Building in Dhaka.

Moderated by FICCI Executive Director TIM Nurul Kabir, NBR Member Barrister 
Mutasim Billah Faruqui gave the address of welcome.

The NBR Chairman said that the revenue board has also a special focus on 
enabling tax refunds for compliant taxpayers.

"Last year, I apologized that we couldn't offer any cash refunds to 
taxpayers. This year, we hope to sit together and find ways to make tax 
refunds possible," he added.

Rahman informed that the English version of the Income Tax Act 2023 has been 
completed and sent to the Bangladesh Government Press for printing.

"Hopefully, within next week you will get the official gazette of the Income 
Tax Act 2023," he said.

He added that the Customs Act has already been vetted and is under technical 
review, while the VAT Act is being finalised in coordination with the 
Legislative Division. "Very soon, all three major tax laws - income tax, 
customs and VAT - will be available in English in official form," he said.

Calling upon the authorised economic operators and compliant taxpayers to 
share their experiences, the NBR chairman said the government wants to make 
the system more rewarding for those who comply.

"Often we hear that the tax burden always increases on compliant taxpayers, 
while non-compliant ones remain outside the system. We are working to correct 
that imbalance," he said.

Md Abdur Rahman said filing of income tax returns has been made compulsory 
this year while corporate tax returns will be submitted online from next 
year. "That will ensure transparency-no information can be twisted, altered, 
or modified. This will create a transparent tax culture in the country," he 
noted.

Admitting that Bangladesh's tax laws are still not fully aligned with 
international standards, he said reforms will follow gradually as discipline 
and compliance improve at the field-level.

He reported that revenue collection grew by over 20 percent in July-September 
this fiscal year, compared to just three percent growth in the same period 
last year. "If we can strengthen this process, revenue collection will 
continue to rise, allowing us to follow all the canons of taxation and move 
toward a modern and fair tax regime," he said. 

Rahman also announced that the NBR will soon bring all Double Taxation 
Agreement (DTA)-related certificates under a fully digital platform through 
the National Single Window (NSW) system to simplify and speed up services.

"So far, around 625,000 certificates, licenses and permits have been issued 
through the Single Window system. Now, 80 percent of certificates are issued 
within one hour of submission," he said.

Eighteen more government and regulatory agencies, including the NBR, are 
being integrated into the platform, Rahman said, adding that DTA-related 
certificates-such as for royalties, business profits, dividends, and 
interest-will soon be available online. "Your complaints regarding delays in 
DTA certificates will be resolved soon-hopefully within a month," he assured.

He further said NBR will next bring certificates for reduced withholding tax 
on dividends under the same digital system and then address issues related to 
input tax credit for manpower support services to improve VAT efficiency.

The NBR chairman warned that stern action will be taken against any official 
found engaged in unethical practices. "We are receiving a lot of information 
from whistleblowers, but the number is still small-especially among 
customers. If you don't blow the whistle, the situation will never improve," 
he said.

Reiterating his firm stance on fair customs valuation, Rahman stressed, "It 
must be the transaction price, it must be the transaction price, it must be 
the transaction price. I repeat this five times--the transaction price."

He said customs officers may refer to recorded values from the past 90 days 
only when the actual transaction price cannot be determined. "But in reality, 
they often rely solely on recorded values. This mindset must change," he 
said.

Rahman emphasised that tax officials must focus on lawful collection, not 
inflated targets. "I will collect the tax that is lawfully due. There is no 
need to collect extra tax by coercion or informal means," he stated.

He said he has instructed all tax commissioners and customs houses not to 
focus on revenue totals during internal meetings. "I don't want to hear how 
much money you collected. I don't even ask that question anymore," he said.

The NBR Chairman urged officers to drop the mentality of linking higher 
revenue collection with personal achievement. "The mindset that 'I collected 
more revenue, so I'm a great officer' must go. Everyone should just do their 
job properly," he continued.

Rahman reaffirmed his zero-tolerance stance against harassment of taxpayers, 
particularly in customs valuation. "We have received complaints of inflated 
valuations and manipulation, and we are taking them seriously," he said.

"My position is clear: I will take the tax that is legitimately mine; I don't 
need inflated valuations to collect extra tax," Rahman said firmly.

However, he warned that under-invoicing and false declarations would not be 
tolerated. "If someone brings in goods worth Taka 100 but declares them as 
Taka 50, we will definitely catch them. But, when the declared value is 
correct, harassment in the name of valuation is not acceptable," he said.

He acknowledged that complaints of irregularities persist in customs houses 
across the country. "Consignments cleared within an hour usually face no 
trouble, but those that get held up for bargaining-that's where the 
complications arise," he added.

Rahman also vowed to end such practices once and for all. "We must free 
ourselves from this situation. Both administrative and policy-level measures 
are being taken to restore trust and integrity in customs operations," the 
NBR Chairman concluded.