High Court orders figures on foreigners working in Bangladesh

Over one million illegal foreign workers are employed in the country, says a lawyer

The High Court has ordered the inspector general of police to report the number of foreign workers hired legally and illegally in Bangladesh.

The bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice SM Masud Hossain Dolon passed the order after hearing a writ petition on Tuesday.

Advocate Salah Uddin Reagan filed the writ petition seeking its directives to investigate how many legal and illegal workers are employed in the country.

Barrister M Sarwar Hossain represented the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy stood for the state, accompanied by Assistant Attorney General Selim Azad.

Barrister Sarwar said there are laws to deal with foreigners who work illegally.

The court also issued a rule asking authorities why their inaction to take legal steps against illegal foreign workers should not be deemed as negligence and beyond their authority, he added.

Sarwar, the general secretary of an organisation called ‘Oboidho Bideshi Khedao Andolon,’ said they held a press conference at the National Press Club on Feb 14 regarding this issue.

During the conference, they said over one million illegal foreign workers are employed in different sectors in the country.

Consequently, citizens are being denied their right to employment based on their qualifications.

The lawyer mentioned that they filed a writ petition as a legal measure to advance their campaign.