The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has recognised five organisations as e-return champions for embracing digital tax compliance.

Sonali Bank PLC, British American Tobacco Bangladesh Company Ltd, BRAC, BURO Bangladesh, and Renata PLC were awarded certificates at a ceremony held yesterday at Le Méridien Dhaka.

The event marked a milestone in the NBR’s digitalisation drive, celebrating the issuance of more than 500,000 certificates, licences and permits (CLPs) through the Bangladesh Single Window (BSW). Launched in January 2025, the platform enables businesses to secure approvals digitally from multiple agencies via a single interface.

Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed urged wider participation in the initiative, stressing that digitalisation should become the norm across the business community.

“We already have a few strong participants like BRAC, British American Tobacco, and other large firms. I expect more businesses will come forward,” he said. “There should be no compromise when it comes to digitalisation.”

He underscored the importance of service delivery, noting that effective systems encourage compliance. “If you give good service, people will pay their taxes and service fees. If you don’t, people will withhold payments,” he said.

Ahmed also linked the reform to Bangladesh’s low tax-to-GDP ratio, comparing it with Brazil’s 26%. “People are willing to pay when they see quality services in education, healthcare, or infrastructure,” he added.