The High Court on Tuesday asked the Bangladesh Bank and other government authorities to submit reports on the number of foreign nationals working in Bangladesh and as to how they send their money to their respective countries.
The High Court asked the government authorities to submit the reports to the court in two weeks after investigating the matter.
The court asked the finance secretary, foreign secretary, Bangladesh Bank governor, Anti-Corruption Commission chairman, National Board of Revenue chairman, inspector general of police and the additional inspector general of police of the Criminal Investigation Department to submit the reports.
The bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and SM Masud Hossain Dolon issued the directive after hearing a writ petition filed by four job seekers Mir Muahtasim Islam, Nowshin Nawar Noorjahan, Muntahina Alam and Mayesha Munaowara, who completed their education from renowned public universities of the country.
The court asked the authorities to explain in four weeks why their failure to take legal action against illegal foreign nationals working in Bangladesh would not be declared illegal.
The court also asked the authorities to explain why they would not be directed to take action against illegal foreign workers under Foreigners Act, 1946 and Control of Entry Act, 1952, Foreign Exchange Regulations Act, 1947 and the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012.
Job seekers鈥� lawyer Sarwar Hossain told the court that the illegal foreign workers affected the employment of unemployed citizens of Bangladesh.
He also informed the court that $10 billion is being taken away from Bangladesh every year by the illegal foreign workers, but the government failed to take action against the money laundering.
On December 17, 2019, the High Court ordered a merged hearing of another writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Monjur Nahid over the similar issue.
The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman directed the authorities to submit in 60 days a report about the number of foreigners holding work permit in Bangladesh and how much money they were paying as revenue.
The court also directed the government to inform it in the same report about the number of foreigners working or doing businesses in the country. 聽聽聽聽
The bench in a rule also asked the government to explain in four weeks why its inaction to compel foreigners to obtain work permit in the country would not be declared illegal.
In the ruling, the court also asked the government to explain why it would not be directed to ensure that no foreigner would be allowed to work without work permit as the law requires.
Monjur鈥檚 lawyer Aneek R Haque told 抖阴精品 that the government authorities are yet to respond to the rules.