The Ministry of Home Affairs in Bangladesh has set up a new task force to figure out the next steps for dealing with foreign nationals who are staying in the country illegally.
The announcement came in a notice signed by Mohammad Kamrul Zaman, Deputy Secretary of the Security Services Division, Expatriates-2 Branch, on Monday.
This new task force has 11 members in total.
The head of the team will be the additional secretary of the Security and Expatriates Branch of the Ministry of Home Affairs, while the joint secretary of the Expatriates-2 Sub-Branch will serve as the task force’s secretary.
The other members include high-ranking officials such as the Director General of the Chief Advisor`s Office, the Director General (Consular) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the joint secretary from the Public Security Division.
Other members come from the police’s Special Branch, the Department of Immigration and Passports, and various security and intelligence agencies.
The notice explains that the task force will play a key role in coordinating actions related to illegal foreign nationals in Bangladesh. They will provide advice and help make decisions on how to handle the situation.
The task force will also be able to issue instructions and even make recommendations when needed.
Additionally, the committee has the power to invite people to attend meetings and can include new members if necessary, according to the notice.
Since the new interim government took office, they have made it clear that they will take strict measures against illegal foreign nationals in the country.
On January 14, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a warning that those staying illegally in Bangladesh would face legal action after January 31.
The notice stated,
“For everyone’s information, many foreign nationals are residing or working illegally in Bangladesh. In this context, foreign nationals who are residing or working illegally in Bangladesh and have not obtained the required documents or legal status by January 31, in accordance with the previously issued warning, will face actions under `The Foreigners Act – 1946.`"
Earlier, on December 24, the Ministry of Home Affairs had already set the January 31 deadline for foreign nationals to regularize their status.
