They come to Bangladesh on tourist visas, work in factories
Over one lakh foreigners are working and doing business in Bangladesh illegally without work permits, immigration sources say. Most of the workers are from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, China and Hong Kong, the sources point out.
They have arrived in Bangladesh on tourist visas and are working in many readymade garment (RMG) factories, leather, textile and multinational companies, fashion and buying houses and educational institutions and clinics, the sources further say adding, many of them are working independently with local help.
A total of 18430 foreigners are working legally across the country in different organizations, they say.
While the government is being deprived of income taxes running into huge amounts, untaxed money amounting to crores of takas is being smuggled out of the country as these workers send their incomes back home through illegal channels such as hundi, they point out.
The executive member of the Board of Investment (BOI), Nabhas Chandra Mandal told The Independent that no foreigner could engage in business or work in the country on a tourist visa.
The BOI, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) and the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) can issue work permits to foreigners only after they have applied for them and that necessitates filling in a series of documents, Mandal said adding, “About 430 foreigners are working in the industrial and commercial sectors legally”.
BEPZA sources say about 18,000 foreigners are working in EPZs across the country.
BSCIC chairman Fakhrul Islam says no foreigner is working in or registered with his organization.
But many do live in the country on tourist visas and are engaged in businesses.
Neo Sze Kiat and Yew Chen Siong of Malaysia are a case in point. The duo, who arrived in Bangladesh on tourist visas, have reportedly been dealing in “jhut” (garments factory wastes) since 2009.
They have rented a house at 541/3, lane 12, DOHS, Baridhara and opened a bank account (0033006259) with the Motijheel branch of the Bank of Asia in the name of Hyvital Export and Import Ltd.
A large amount of money is reportedly being transacted from the account, the sources say.
These foreigners, reportedly with the help of some local traders, have set up several business organisations including Hyvital Enterprise, Hybrid, Rawshan Enterprise, Foyez Enterprise and Quasem Enterprise.
None of these organizations are registered with either BOI, BEPZA or the BSCIC, sources in these organizations say adding, law enforcing agencies and other related organizations should take immediate steps to stop such businesses illegally floated be foreigners.
These foreign businessmen could also be involved in money laundering or other crimes, they say.
-With The Independent input
