BNP Standing Committee member Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan has dismissed the government's decision to dissolve the National Board of Revenue (NBR) as a "cosmetic reform," criticizing the move for failing to address systemic issues within Bangladesh’s tax administration.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday morning, Dr. Khan expressed deep skepticism over the restructuring, arguing that “rebranding or changing the nameplate of an institution does not equate to genuine reform.”

“The real issue with the NBR is corruption,” he said. “In such a case, merely changing the signboard or rebranding will not bring about any substantial improvement in our severely ill fiscal infrastructure.”

Dr. Khan also cast doubt on the role of international financial institutions in guiding such reforms. “The World Bank and IMF often fail to grasp the informal nature of Bangladesh’s economy,” he noted.

“Their textbook solutions may look sound on paper, but they rarely offer practical fixes to the structural flaws in our financial system.”

He further criticized the government's narrative surrounding the overhaul, pointing to recent assurances by the Finance Adviser that NBR staff would remain unaffected by the change.

“If no personnel or operational structures are being altered,” Dr. Khan said, “then what exactly is being reformed? It seems like little more than a bureaucratic reshuffle with no real impact.”

Calling for comprehensive tax reform, the BNP leader warned that the current system not only underperforms in revenue collection but also enables large-scale tax evasion. “A complete overhaul is essential,” he emphasized.

His remarks come amid growing public scrutiny of the government’s decision to dismantle the NBR and replace it with a new entity, with critics questioning whether the move addresses core issues of transparency, accountability, and institutional efficiency.

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