Govt to review visa status of foreigners working illegally: NBR

The government is planning to review the visa status of more than 2 lakh international citizens who are working in Bangladesh under the wrong category of visas.

Authorities concerned are also advocating the government to take legal actions against those people who are depriving the government of Tk 4,541 crore in income taxes.

It is learned that most of the foreign nationals have been employed by various organisations with false paperwork. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has also opined that the Finance Ministry might take legal actions against those institutions or individuals who have employed the international citizens without prior permission of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority.

The Ministry of Finance has been requested to take necessary measures to re-examine visa categories and status of these foreign nationals. Taxes, Legal and Enforcement Member of the National Board of Revenue, Mahmudur Rahman, sent a letter to the senior secretary of the finance department last week, in this regard.

According to the letter, many foreign nationals working in Bangladesh have obtained A-3 Business (B), A3, Tourist (T), Student (S) and on arrival visas and did not obtain permission of BIDA and competent authorities appointed by the government. 

Officials said 51 percent of some 2,12,067 foreigners staying in Bangladesh obtained visas under these four categories.

Although there is a provision of paying 30 percent income tax for the international citizens employed in the country, the government is deprived of revenue worth Tk 4,541 crore annually due to such non-compliance. 

In the letter, the NBR has said that for the implementation of Vision 2041 adopted by the Awami League government, much emphasis has been put on the collection of revenue from internal sources to continue the ongoing development projects. 

According to the NBR, income tax is one of the sources of revenue collection. In the current financial year 2022-23, the target of income tax collection has been set at Tk 1,22,100 crore.

NBR has sought the assistance of the Finance Division to collect this mammoth amount of revenue. To implement Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s politico-economic vision, the NBR is trying to establish a business-industry-investment friendly environment in the country.

Meanwhile, a report of the Ministry of Home Affairs has said that due to the lack of proper management, a group of organised foreign nationals are brewing ideas to monopolise some businesses through forming a syndicate.

At the same time, the tendency of these foreigners to defy the local law is increasing. Such tendencies are squeezing job opportunities for local citizens and spiking concern of increasing unemployment.

In such a context, the NBR has specifically requested the authorities concerned to re-examine the visa category of all the foreign nationals working under the Ministry of Finance, its subordinate offices and projects.

According to Section 16 (b) of the Income Tax Ordinance 1984, if any person or organisation illegally employs foreign nationals without prior approval of the authorities, that person or organisation shall be fined Tk 5 lakh or 50 percent (whichever is higher) of the income tax payable as additional income tax. Apart from this, according to section 165 (c) of the same ordinance, there is also provision of imprisonment up to three years and a fine up to Tk 5 lakh for breaching the law.

Authorities concerned have alleged that many international citizens have indulged them in drug peddling and smuggling of mass destructive weapons and ammunition into the country. At the same time, the threat of human trafficking is increasing, which is a threat to the country’s economy, politics and sovereignty.

Currently, some 212,067 citizens of 212 countries are staying in Bangladesh. This number is four times higher than what it was in 2021. However, the number of foreign citizens staying illegally is 97,695.