NBR Revenue Conference Opens with Smuggling Exhibition in Bangladesh

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has inaugurated a special revenue conference featuring a temporary museum dedicated to showcasing novel smuggling methods and historical documents. The event is currently underway today at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center, drawing attention to both modern enforcement challenges and deep-rooted fiscal history.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman attended the high-profile conference as the chief guest, taking time to tour the newly established temporary museum alongside various other stalls set up for the occasion. During his visit, the Prime Minister inspected the diverse collection of artifacts and historical records on display.

Among the exhibits, the temporary museum highlights various innovative techniques used in smuggling, alongside significant historical items. Notably, the display includes a touchstone Vishnu statue and a brass Kali idol that were successfully recovered by Hili Customs authorities back in the year 2009.

The curated historical collection also features a range of unusual items and rare paperwork from different eras. Visitors and officials can view a pair of shoes dating back to 1967, an unusually large radio from 1977, and official copies of trade authorization letters issued in the years 1601 and 1615.

The exhibition underscores the operational history of customs and revenue collection in the region, connecting contemporary enforcement efforts by agencies such as Hili Customs and Chattogram Customs with historical antecedents tied to the East India Company. Organizers highlighted that the NBR spends merely 21 poisha to collect every 100 taka of revenue.