Cabinet clears proposal for new law to expand scope for dual citizenship

The government has given its clearance for a new law that will expand the scope for dual citizenship for Bangladeshis.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 1 Feb 2016, 08:48 AM
Updated : 1 Feb 2016, 01:07 PM

The new law also includes a provision for five years of imprisonment should one give false information to acquire citizenship.

Monday’s regular Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cleared the draft for the ‘Bangladesh Citizenship Act 2016’.

“The new law broadens the scope for dual citizenship. Until now, the law only allowed dual citizenship for Bangladeshis in the US and the UK,” Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told reporters after the meeting.

The new law says Bangladeshis cannot go for dual citizenship with SAARC countries and Myanmar.

It also bars dual citizenship with countries the government has imposed a bar on by issuing gazettes and with those countries which have no diplomatic relations with Bangladesh.

Supreme Court judges, MPs, members of the armed forces, public services and anyone holding a constitutional post will not be permitted to possess dual citizenship.

The draft says that any Bangladeshi who pledges allegiance to a foreign state ‘directly or indirectly’ will lose their citizenship, said the secretary.

The new law is being formulated by merging ‘The Citizenship Act 1959’ and ‘The Bangladesh Citizenship Temporary Provisions Order 1972’, he added. “Those two laws have a lot of backdated issues. The new law addresses those matters.”

Alam said that anyone can renounce their Bangladeshi citizenship; the renouncement will also apply to their minor children.

Foreign nationals, married to Bangladeshis, will have to reside in Bangladesh for at least five years to qualify for citizenship. So far, the period of residence has been four years.

The government may also confer honorary citizenship on individuals for their contributions to Bangladesh.

“In these instances, such citizens will not be able to participate in elections and cannot get involved with political parties. They cannot be employed for any State affairs, including as Supreme Court judges.”