Security Clearance of foreign employees under Security Services Department Memorandum 191, dated February 19, 2023, with a view to the Security Services Department issuing security clearances as soon as possible to Bangladeshi workers who have received work permits from Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA). All concerned authorities/agencies/departments. The following guidelines are formulated below:
Sending the letter of request:
(1) The employing institution shall apply to the Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) for a work permit in the prescribed form.
(2) Scan copies of all documents, including work permits, will be forwarded by BIDA to the Security Service Department for the security clearance of the concerned foreign national.
The following documents must be attached to the proposal.
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(a) A copy of each page that has been used in the applicable person’s passport
(b) Copy of Work Permit (i.e., if previously working in any other organization in Bangladesh, with a copy of Work Permit / Canceled Work Permit and TIN
(c) Appointment letter
(d) Resume, copies of educational qualifications and experience certificates
(e) Copy of an Encashment Certificate (if the investor is an applicable person)
(f) The applicable person’s rental agreement for a home
(g) Copy of the trade license of the concerned institution
(h) Copy of TIN of the concerned institution
(i) Institutional activities/ Type of Institution
(j) List of domestic and foreign manpower.
Investigation:
(3) Proposal from BIDA through Online Security Clearance System within 3 (three) working days Security Services Department shall forward the content of the proposal to the Directorate of National Security Intelligence (NSI) and Special Branch (SB) (including supporting documents received from BIDA);
(4) The NSI/SB shall forward the report to the Security Services Department within 21 (twenty-one) working days. The report will mainly consider 03 (three) issues, namely State Security, Social Security, and other issues (Income Tax Certificate, Salaries, etc.)
(5) NSI/SB will give well-informed recommendations/opinions based on the information received on matters of National Security and Social Security during the investigation. The information acquired in the form of observations will be mentioned in various documents (Income tax certificates, salaries, etc.).
(6) The investigation report will not contain any conclusive comments/remarks
(7) State security, social responsibility, and other issues must be ensured when issuing security clearance to the workers working in Bangladesh. However, care must be taken to ensure that there are no unusual delays or unnecessary complications in the decision-making process of issuing security clearances and that there is no negative impact on the extensive development activities of the government going on in the country.
Follow the Visa Policy Correctly:
(8) Strict enforcement of visa requirements should be made so that professionals working in Bangladesh cannot choose their employment or profession in violation of the terms of their visas or arbitrarily change the organization in violation of the law.
Application disposal
(9) The Security Services Department will take action on the matter immediately after receiving the investigation report, dispose of the matter in the shortest possible time, and inform the BIDA in writing about the clearance.
(10)The decision shall be made by the NSI/SB and the relevant department.
