HC asks govt bodies to prepare list of illegal foreign workers in Bangladesh
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The High Court on Tuesday ordered the concerned bodies of the government to prepare a list of all the legal and illegal foreign workers living in Bangladesh after conducting a thorough investigation into the matter.
The Inspector General of Police and other respondents have been asked to submit the list to the court.
The High Court bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice S M Masud Hossain Dolon passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed in this regard.
The HC bench also issued a rule upon the concerned bodies of the government to explain as to why their inaction and failure to take appropriate legal action against illegal foreigners, including unauthorised foreign workers in Bangladesh, shall not be declared illegal.
In the rule, it also wanted to know as to why the respondents shall not be directed to ensure all appropriate legal actions against illegal foreigners, including unauthorised foreign workers, as per the provisions of the law.
Finance Secretary, Foreign Affairs Secretary, Home Secretary, Bangladesh Bank Governor, ACC Chairman, NBR Chairman, IGP, and Additional IGP (CID) have been made respondents in the petition.
Mir Muahtasim Islam, a graduate of Naval Architecture from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and three others, who have been suffering from unemployment commensurate with their academic background, filed the writ petition recently.
Barrister M Sarwar Hossain appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the writ petitioners, while Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy represented the state.
Barrister M Sarwar Hossain told the FE that the HC bench didn’t mention the time frame to submit the list, however, it will not be less than three to six months as it’s a big task.
According to the writ petition, around USD 10.0 billion is taken away from Bangladesh every year by illegal foreign workers, and the respondents have failed to take appropriate legal action against such syphoning of illegal money.
Respondents should take all appropriate legal action against illegal foreigners and unauthorised foreign workers as per the provisions of the laws, including the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946, The Control of Entry Act, 1952, Foreign Exchange Registration Act, 1947 and Money Laundering Act, 2012.