Dhaka, Jan. 6 -- cadre officers of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Sunday welcomed the promotion of eligible officials to the post of Deputy Commissioner.

They described the move as a historic step towards ending decades-long discrimination within the customs and VAT administration.

In a statement, leaders of the Bangladesh Customs and VAT Officers Association (BACVOA) said non-cadre officials have faced systemic discrimination in almost every aspect of service, including delayed basic training, job regularisation, gradation, access to higher grades, regularisation from acting positions and timely promotion.

It cited the latest promotion as a landmark development, noting that after a gap of 33 years, non-cadre officers have fina...