Staff Correspondent

The government on Monday formed a high-powered national task force to restructure the country’s tax system with the aim of boosting revenue collection and raising the tax-GDP ratio to an acceptable level.

According to a gazette notification, the task force will focus on structural adjustments and development of the overall tax framework to help Bangladesh achieve its fiscal goals.

Dr. Zaidi Sattar, Chairman of the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI), has been appointed as the head of the task force.

The other members included Dr. Sultan Hafiz Rahman, Professorial Fellow at BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD); Dr. Syed Mainul Ahsan, Professor Emeritus at Concordia University, Canada; Dr. Mohammad Zahid Hossain, Chairman of Bangladesh Krishi Bank; and Dr. Sajjad Zohir, Executive Director of the Economic Research Group (ERG).

Representatives from the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB), and the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) have also been included as members of the task force.

Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Patwari, Joint Secretary of the Internal Resources Division (IRD), will serve as the Member Secretary.

The task force has been assigned to formulate recommendations for restructuring the national tax system to help achieve the desired tax-GDP ratio. It will also propose tax policy measures that support overall economic development and facilitate domestic and international trade.

In addition, the task force will prepare specific recommendations outlining immediate, short-term, and long-term actions needed to meet these objectives.

If required, additional members may be co-opted into the task force. It has been directed to submit its final report to the Financial Adviser by January 31, 2026.

Meanwhile, the interim government on September 28 dissolved the five-member advisory committee to initiate positive reforms in the National Board of Revenue (NBR). A gazette notification was issued regarding this issue. The five-member advisory committee was formed on October 9, 2024 last year.

It said that the activities of the National Board of Revenue reform advisory committee have been terminated due to the promulgation of the Revenue Policy and Revenue Management Ordinance 2025.

The committee was supposed to provide recommendations on tax policy reforms, improvements in tax administration, automation and other related matters.

The committee included two former NBR chairman: Muhammad Abdul Mazid and Nasiruddin Ahmed. 

The other members were Delwar Hossain, Aminur Rahman, and Farid Uddin, all former members of the taxes and customs divisions.

But submission of their final report remains unknown.