A significant number of foreigners live in the country. Many of them work here despite having no permission to work. As a result, a huge amount of money is siphoned out of the country and the government is being deprived of revenue due to tax evasion. Besides, people of the country are losing jobs. The government is working to improve the situation. According to preliminary data compiled by the government show that as of December 31, 2023, a total of 107, 167 foreigners are residing in Bangladesh. Most of them are from India and China.

To make the matter even worse, the country has yet to have any central database with respect to foreigners in 52 years after independence. At long last, an initiative has been taken to create an inter-operable database.

A meeting was held in the capital on Tuesday to determine what to do about the foreigners who are working without permission. Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Tofazzel Hossain Miah presided over the meeting organized by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) at its office in Agargaon. Top officials of concerned government entities participated in the meeting, presenting their opinions and recommendations.            

BIDA Executive Member Mohsina Yasmin put forward her recommendations on the reasons behind foreigners’ stay in Bangladesh and problems created by that, digitalization, A-3 visa, fine or penalty, ensuring work permits, coordination between permission-giving organizations, visa-on-arrival and blacklisting.

At the beginning of the presentation, the causes for staying in Bangladesh were brought to attention. It was said that the foreigners with business and tourist visas are being able to work in the country easily without permission due to the absence of a coordinated database.             

According to the law, it is mandatory for a foreigner to take permission to work and pay taxes. But, many foreigners come to the country with A-3 visa to work in different projects, but the visa rules formulated in 2006 have not set the precondition of seeking permission, making it easy to evade taxes. A-3 visa refers to experts/consultants/officials/employees/workers employed with the office/ organization established under the bilateral/multilateral agreement with the government of Bangladesh  

As per the presentation, regardless of duration of overstay, a foreigner can leave the country paying a fine of only Tk 30,000. As the amount of fine is far less than the taxes, no one cares about taking permission.

About this particular issue, Principal Secretary Miah said that the government has decided to impose a daily fine at a progressive rate.

Foreigners can stay in Bangladesh for a long time, there is no exchange of information between different government entities. They can leave the country renewing their passports from their embassies and high commissions and return to Bangladesh at their will. Even, the blacklisted individuals are coming using new passports. The meeting identifies the scope for changing visa categories as the main reason behind overstay without permission.

The opportunity is shrinking for the locals due to illegal stay of the foreigners. After receiving their wages in cash, people without work permits send money to their respective countries through illegal means. Foreigners with expired visas get involved in various illegal activities. To address the problems, BIDA recommended creation of a central inter-operable database to ensure the instant availability of information. According to the organization, Security Services Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Foreign Ministry, Bangladesh Bank, National Board of Revenue, BIDA, BEPZA, BEZA, High-tech Park Authority, NGO Affairs Bureau, National Security Intelligence, Immigration and Passport Department and Special Branch of Police must have access to the database. Besides, there should be an inter-operable mechanism between the organizations concerned and the visa-issuing process at Bangladesh’s missions abroad should be made online and automated.              

In case of A-3 visa, the issue of work permit should be made compulsory, BIDA suggested. Security Services Division must make it mandatory to get work permit within 15 days if anyone wants to change or extend A-3 visa. The visa-issuing missions will have to print this condition on A-3 visa.

BIDA also said that Bangladesh’s foreign missions should issue A-3 visas only to the qualified people after analyzing visa conditions and qualifications. The hotels and residences should be fined for allowing foreigners to stay without proper documentation. Organizations that fail to provide accurate information about the payment to its employees should also be penalized.       

“We hear people say every now and then that there live 400,000 to 500,000 foreigners in the country. It is simply a presumed figure since we do not have any specific number or a list,” Secretary Miah said while exchanging views with Bonik Barta and a daily after the meeting.

He informed that based on reports from the Special Branch of Police and Security Services Division till December 31, last year, the number of foreigners legally residing in Bangladesh stood at 107,167. Of them, 10, 485 people have come with business and investment visa, 14,399 on employment visa, 6,827 with student visa and 75,456 person arrived on tourist visa. Among the foreigners, Bangladesh’s first neighbor India has the highest number with 37,464 persons followed by China with 11,404 people.      

BIDA Executive Chairman Lokman Hossain Miah said, “Money earned by foreigners without work permits get siphoned out of the country through illegal means. The economy of our country is affected gradually. Foreign workers will have to work in Bangladesh abiding by the rules.”