Bangladesh has about 2.5 lakh foreign nationals currently working, both legally and illegally, in the country. Among them, legally employed foreign nationals sent $137 million back to their home countries through banking channels in 2022.

However, analysts believe that the actual remittance amount might be much higher as many individuals work without valid work permits in Bangladesh.

Economists believe that the number of remittances sent from Bangladesh to foreign countries might be significantly higher than what is reported in the World Bank's report. Selim Raihan, the Executive Director of SANEM (South Asian Network on Economic Modeling) and a professor at the Department of Economics, University of Dhaka, stated that outward remittances through informal channels could be more than 20 times higher than the government's official estimation.

Those concerned said, many foreign nationals from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and even some Chinese citizens work in Bangladesh without valid work permits and send money through unofficial channels. It is difficult to accurately estimate the number of foreign workers in Bangladesh as many organizations employ them without proper registration or disclosure of statistics.

One such organization is the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), which approved 15,128 work permit applications in the 2021-22 fiscal year, an increase of 87.32% from the previous year. These workers are employed in various sectors, including industrial projects, commercial offices, and other institutions.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) research reveals that around 26,000 crore taka is sent abroad unlawfully by foreign workers in Bangladesh each year. The number of illegal foreign nationals in the country has risen by over four times compared to 2021, with a total of 2.5 lakh individuals.

According to a report from a government institution, until the past year, there were 212,067 individuals from 212 countries residing in Bangladesh, which is four times higher than the figure in 2021. Among these foreign nationals, 97,695 are illegal immigrants. The largest numbers of illegal immigrants are from India (68,305), China (16,231), the Philippines (9,915), Nigeria (2,068), Somalia (1,015), Kenya (79), and Cameroon (82). This results in an annual revenue loss of 4,541 crore taka for the government.

The Washington-based think tank Pew Research Center stated in 2017 that an estimated $990.2 million was remitted from Bangladesh to China, $276 million to Indonesia, $202 million to Malaysia, and $126 million to India. These figures were based on estimations. Other notable countries among the recipients of remittances from Bangladesh included Vietnam, the United States, Nepal, Thailand, Japan, Norway, Myanmar, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

Ahsan H Mansur, Executive Director, Policy Research Institute said that a significant amount of money is being smuggled out of Bangladesh through unlawful foreign workers. They work in Bangladesh but escape the government's radar, leading to substantial revenue loss. The influx of skilled foreign workers is increasing due to their demand, and the spread of illegal employment is also rising. To ensure the legitimate employment of these foreign workers and reduce revenue loss, the relevant government offices should facilitate easier access to services and proper work permits for them.

@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on July 23 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan.