Scope widens for dual citizenship | The Daily Star
Skip to main content
T
Friday, September 29, 2023
The Daily Star
E-paper Today's News বাংলা
  • Home
  • News
    • Bangladesh
      • Investigative Stories
    • Investigative Stories
    • Asia
    • World
  • Opinion
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Culture
  • Life & Living
  • Youth
  • Tech & Startup
  • Multimedia
  • Feature
    • Lifestyle
    • Rising Star
    • Showbiz
    • My Dhaka
    • Satireday
    • Campus
    • Toggle
    • Star Literature
    • In Focus
    • Star Youth
    • Shift
    • Daily Star Books
    • Roundtables
    • Star Holiday
    • weekend read
  • More
    • Environment
    • NRB
    • Supplements
    • Law & Our Rights
  • E-paper
  • বাংলা
Search Epaper T
  • Today's News
  • Home
  • News
    • Bangladesh
    • Investigative Stories
    • Asia
    • World
  • Opinion
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Culture
  • Life & Living
  • Youth
  • Tech & Startup
  • Multimedia
  • Feature
    • Lifestyle
    • Rising Star
    • Showbiz
    • My Dhaka
    • Satireday
    • Campus
    • Toggle
    • Star Literature
    • In Focus
    • Star Youth
    • Shift
    • Daily Star Books
    • Roundtables
    • Star Holiday
    • weekend read
  • More
    • Environment
    • NRB
    • Supplements
    • Law & Our Rights

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Apps
  • Comment Policy
  • RSS
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Conference Hall
  • Archives
Front Page
Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee
Tue Feb 2, 2016 12:00 AM
Last update on: Tue Feb 2, 2016 03:09 AM

Most Viewed

  • BB moves to stem slide in reserve

  • Shakib likens Tamim's behaviour to a child's antics

  • Bashundhara seeks to invest in Teletalk

  • ‘Nasty game, not injury, behind my exclusion’

Front Page

Scope widens for dual citizenship

Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee
Tue Feb 2, 2016 12:00 AM Last update on: Tue Feb 2, 2016 03:09 AM
Cabinet approves the draft of a law expanding the existing scope of getting dual citizenship. Star file photo.

The cabinet yesterday approved the draft of "The Citizenship Law, 2016," expanding the scope of having dual citizenship by expatriate Bangladeshis.

This is applicable to Bangladesh nationals living in all countries across the world save for nine -- seven Saarc countries and neighbouring Myanmar, and Israel with which Bangladesh has no diplomatic ties, according to the draft law.

For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.

Currently, Bangladeshi expats living in the UK and the US can obtain dual citizenship.

According to the draft, one would not be eligible for obtaining or retaining citizenship if he/she expresses loyalty to any foreign countries, fights against Bangladesh by joining forces of a foreign country or collaborates with that force and stays in Bangladesh as an illegal migrant.

Also, one is not eligible to be a Bangladeshi by ancestry if his/her father or mother joins a military or para-military or any other force of a foreign country and fights against Bangladesh or denies the existence of Bangladesh, or engages in anti-Bangladesh activities, reads the draft, obtained by The Daily Star.

Anyone obtaining Bangladeshi citizenship by giving false and distorted information or by hiding information would face up to five years in prison or a fine of Tk 1 lakh or both, said Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam while briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting.

Supreme Court judges, lawmakers, persons holding constitutional posts as well as civil servants and members of the disciplined forces would not get dual citizenship.

Any foreign national obtaining Bangladeshi citizenship cannot contest national or local polls, become the president, SC judge or a public servant or form any political party, according to the draft.

Under the law, the government would be able to give honourary citizenship to any foreign national for his/her contribution in the fields of science, literature, world peace, human development, and culture or for important contribution for Bangladesh.

The draft law has been framed by consolidating the existing "The Citizenship Act 1951" and "The Bangladesh Citizenship Temporary Provisions Order 1972" and rearranging their "backdated issues" and "incompleteness".

The introduction of the draft law says The Bangladesh Citizenship Temporary Provisions Order 1972 is a very brief law, and the provisions for giving and cancelling citizenship are not clear enough.

According to the draft, if any Bangladeshi marries a foreign national, the Bangladesh government can give him/her citizenship upon fulfillment of five conditions.

The conditions are:  he/she would have to live in Bangladesh for five years; is not a citizen of any country whose citizenship is prohibited by Bangladesh government; his/her parents and grandparents are not engaged in war against Bangladesh and not the enemy force of a foreign country; s/he does not live in Bangladesh illegally; and is not a citizen of any country that has no diplomatic relations with Bangladesh.

Between 2009 and 2015, the government gave citizenship to 37,544 foreign nationals. Of them, 37,535 got Bangladeshi citizenship through exchange of enclaves between Bangladesh and India while 526 Bangladeshi nationals gave up their citizenship in the process. In the same period, 9,016 non-resident Bangladeshis were given dual citizenship, sources said.  

Related topic:
cabinetcitizenshipNationallocal pollselectionsc judgesupreme court judgesUKUSdual citizenship
Apple Google
Click to comment

Comments

Comments Policy

Related News

Taiwan is part of China and none can change that, China tells US

UK-Russia standoff deepens as Moscow cuts UK diplomats

Next election will be free, credible: Quader

Bangladesh Local Election

2 upazilas, one municipality go to polls

Double wings in 5 ministries

|বাংলাদেশ

রূপপুর যাচ্ছে পারমাণবিক বিদ্যুৎ প্রকল্পের ইউরেনিয়ামের প্রথম চালান

আজ শুক্রবার সকাল ৭টার দিকে ইউরেনিয়াম বহনকারী গাড়িগুলো রূপপুরের উদ্দেশে রওনা করে।

১৫ মিনিট আগে
|রাজনীতি

ঢাকায় আজ বিএনপির কোথায় কোন কর্মসূচি

৪৫ মিনিট আগে
Please Click on allow
The Daily Star
Journalism without fear or favour
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Apps
  • Comment Policy
  • RSS
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Conference Hall
  • Archives
© 2023 thedailystar.net | Powered by: RSI LAB
Copyright: Any unauthorized use or reproduction of The Daily Star content for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited and constitutes copyright infringement liable to legal action.
X