20,000 illegal Indian citizens in country's RMG sector: Buying house business in their grip
More than 20 thousand illegal Indian citizens are working in Bangladesh's readymade garment industry who have no legal visas or work permits, stakeholders say. Most of these Indian citizens came in Bangladesh with tourist visa but did not return to their country.
Moreover, these illegal Indian citizens involved themselves in different professions depriving the government from huge income tax. Garment industry people said country's buying house business is now being controlled by legal and illegal Indian citizens. They said more than 5 thousand Indian citizens are involved in buying house business in the country.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) sources said a total of 891 buying houses are listed in the apex garment body. But a former president of the BGMEA said another several hundreds buying houses are also in operation in the country. He said 80 per cent to 90 per cent garment house business is controlled by illegal Indian citizens.
Informed sources said these illegal Indian citizens are running buying house business in posh areas of the city like Gulshan, Baridhara and Dhanmondi areas. They are running the business year after year without paying taxes. Source further said these illegal Indian citizens have already taken the readymade garment business of Bangladesh in their grip with help of foreign buyers taking the advantages of reluctance of law enforcing agencies.
Chairman of Lusaka Group Hafizur Rahman said most of the buying houses are now under grip of Indian and Sri Lankan citizens. Though the Sri Lankans are working here legally, most of the Indians are working here illegally. He said at first these Indian citizens obtain trade licenses with help of some Bangladeshi citizens. Later, they hire houses in city's posh areas and run business smoothly. House owners prefer to rent their houses to foreign citizens being allured of high price.
According to the BGMEA a huge number of foreign technical workers are employed in country's readymade garment sector who are being paid between Tk 2 lakh to Tk 5 lakh each per month. Most of them are from India and Sri Lanka who are mainly engaged in fashion designing.
Immigration officials citing the visa policy said the illegal foreigners can get permission to stay here legally after paying penalty or facing jail term. An illegal foreigner has to pay Tk 200 per day as penalty from the very first day of their being illegal. If the foreigner stays Bangladesh illegally more than 15 days and up to 90 days he or she has to pay Tk 500 per day as penalty.
A foreigner can face case and jail term for illegal staying more than 90 days. The Additional Inspector General of Police is assigned to take action against such foreigners. But case is not being filed against illegal Indians despite having valid allegations, they said.