ISIS bride Shamima Begum not a Bangladeshi citizen, government asserts

The government has asserted Shamima Begum, who has been stripped of British citizenship after joining Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, is not a Bangladesh citizen.

The foreign ministry in a statement on Wednesday said it came to know from media sources that the British government has revoked the citizenship of Shamima on account of her radicalisation in line with the ISIS in the recent past.

“The government of Bangladesh is deeply concerned that she has been erroneously identified as a holder of dual citizenship shared with Bangladesh alongside her birthplace, the United Kingdom.

“Bangladesh asserts that Shamima Begum is not a Bangladeshi citizen,” read the statement.

The statement came amid media reports in the UK identifying her as a Bangladesh-origin British citizen.

Her parents are from Bangladesh but she was born and raised in the UK, according to the reports.

“She is a British citizen by birth and has never applied for dual nationality with Bangladesh. It may also be mentioned that she never visited Bangladesh in the past despite her parental lineage. So, there is no question of her being allowed to enter into Bangladesh.

“In this regard, Bangladesh reiterates her firm commitment to adhere to the policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestation,” the foreign ministry said in its statement.

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