Two leading associations of tax lawyers have strongly opposed the government's recent move to dissolve the National Board of Revenue (NBR), calling it a "damaging and destabilising step" that could seriously undermine the country's revenue system and broader economy.

In a joint press conference held at the National Press Club today, the Bangladesh Tax Lawyers' Association (BTLA) and the Dhaka Taxes Bar Association (DTBA) demanded the immediate withdrawal of the draft ordinance that proposes abolishing the NBR.

The association made the demand after the interim government's advisory panel approved a draft "State Policy and Revenue Management Ordinance, 2025" last month proposing to dissolve the NBR and replace it with two new divisions.

Dismantling NBR without any stakeholder consultation or research will leave a dangerous institutional void in revenue administration, said BTLA President Ramizuddin Ahmed.

Speakers at the press conference emphasised that most modern states maintain an independent and professional revenue authority to ensure neutrality, efficiency, and accountability.

Bangladesh should focus on strengthening and reforming its tax administration rather than dismantling it, they argued.

They alleged that the draft ordinance was hastily approved by the government's advisory council without discussing it with key stakeholders such as tax lawyers, who they described as central actors in the national revenue framework.

The proposed ordinance, details of which are yet to be made public in full, reportedly seeks to restructure or dissolve the NBR -- an institution responsible for over 85 percent of the country's total revenue collection, they said.