Some rigorous policy, administrative, structural and technology-driven reforms under the
post-uprising interim government of Bangladesh contributed to revenue-earning growth by over 14 per cent.
A report submitted by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to Chief Adviser Dr Mohammad Yunus reveals a series of revenue policy and administrative reforms undertaken during the tenure of this government, which is expected to end after the national elections on February 12.
The reform scorecard shows the revenue authority collected Tk 1.85 trillion in an increase by Tk 230.20 billion from July to December 2025 compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year.
One of the key initiatives during this period was the promulgation of the Revenue Policy and Revenue Management Ordinance 2025 separating revenue-policy formulation and revenue administration.
The NBR describes this as a "major milestone" in reforming the country's revenue framework.
"The reforms have strengthened the monitoring of revenue administration, improved transparency and accountability, and helped prevent tax evasion while recovering evaded taxes through various enforcement mechanisms," the performance report reads.
As part of digital transformation, the NBR is implementing the Strengthening Digital Revenue Management Project (SDRMP) at a cost of nearly Tk 10 billion. Under the project, online income-tax-return filing, e-challan systems, mobile financial service-based tax payments and online VAT refunds have been introduced.
The e-return filing has been made mandatory for most income taxpayers. In the current fiscal year (2025-26), more than 3.4 million income-tax returns have been submitted online, reflecting progress in widening the tax net-a vital means of raising low tax-GDP ratio.
To support taxpayer compliance and awareness, the NBR has awarded Income Tax Practitioner (ITP) certificates to 13,500 individuals through competitive examinations.
In the VAT sector, special drives led to the registration of 131,000 new business entities by December 2025, raising the total number of VAT-registered entities to around 775,000.
Trade-facilitation measures include the introduction of the Bangladesh Single Window (BSW), truck movement sub-modules, and updated licensing rules for shipping and clearing and forwarding agents, which have reduced clearance time and cost both at ports.
To ease container congestion at Chattogram seaport, customs authorities initiated auctions of long-stationed containers. So far, over 2,000 containers have been auctioned, with around 800 already handed over to buyers.
The report mentions that the NBR also welcomed government decisions taken in public interest, including withdrawal of excise duty on Hajj tickets, VAT exemption on metro-rail services, reduction in duties on essential commodities, and lower customs duties on mobile-phone imports.
Chairman of the NBR Md Abdur Rahman Khan said, "The reform initiatives would play a crucial role in ensuring fiscal stability and supporting sustainable economic development."
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