The High Court has ordered the authorities concerned to file a report detailing the businesses, jobs, work permits, tax statements of the foreign nationals living in Bangladesh.
It also directed Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), NGO Bureau and Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA) to report to it in 60 days.
The HC bench of justices M Enayetur Rahim and Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order on Tuesday (Dec 17) after hearing a petition
The top court also issued a ruled asking as to why the authorities' inaction to issue the work permit to foreigners should not be declared illegal and why an order to should not be given to take action against foreigners working in Bangladesh without clearance.
The BIDA, the NGO Bureau and the BEPZA have been asked to respond to the rule in four weeks.
Lawyer Anik R Haque represented the petitioner in the court while Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukdar stood for the state.
On Dec 12, lawyer Manzur Nahid filed a petition attaching an article published in a national daily on Oct 19.
Citing media report, the article authored by former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Mazumdar described that foreigner working in Bangladesh send nearly $5 billion out of the country annually.
It also stated that nearly 500,000 foreign nationals work in Bangladesh with only 100,000 having their work permit. Many of them withdrew salary in the dollar which is shown in taka in the financial statement in a bid to evade tax.
Foreigners were also even appointed in the government development project without BIDA's clearance.