Foreigners without Work Permit: HC wants to know how many currently in Bangladesh

The High Court yesterday wanted to know how many foreign nationals are working and running businesses in Bangladesh without valid work permits, how many are holding proper work permits and how much tax they have paid to Bangladesh government.

In response to a writ petition, the court ordered Bangladesh Investment Development Authorities (Bida), NGO Affairs Bureau and Bangladesh Export Processing Zone (Bepza) to submit separate reports to the HC in 60 days.

It also issued a rule asking authorities concerned why their inaction in enforcing requirement of work permit for foreign nationals should not be declared illegal.

The court asked the respondents to show cause why their inaction to take legal steps against illegal foreign workers should not be declared illegal.

Executive chairman of Bida, secretaries to the ministries of home and finance, chairman of National Board of Revenue, executive chairman of Bepza, and director general of NGO Affairs Bureau were made respondents to the rule, petitioner’s lawyer Barrister Aneek R Haque told The Daily Star.  

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md Monjur Nahid seeking necessary order to ensure that no foreign nationals work in Bangladesh without work permit.

He submitted the writ petition on December 12 based on a report published by The Daily Star on October 10 under a headline “Huge tax lost for illegal foreign employees: Bida.”

The report said the government is losing millions of dollars in taxes every year from foreign nationals without work permit in Bangladesh.

Industry insiders say some five lakh foreigners work in different ministries, projects and private companie, only 1 lakh of whom have registered with Bida. Government agencies say they send abroad over US $5 billion every year.