DHAKA: The government has moved for allowing foreigners to get citizenship of Bangladesh upon fulfillment of certain conditions including marriage.

The Home Ministry has already prepared the draft of “The Citizenship Bill - 2014” that will allow citizenship through marriage.

The ministry is now working on the draft which will later be placed before the Cabinet for approval.

Immediately after the cabinet nod, the bill will be placed before the next session of the parliament.

At present, the country deals with its citizenship issue under the existing laws – “The Citizenship Act, 1951”, “The Bangladesh Citizenship (Temporary Provisions) Order, 1972’, and “The Foreigners Act, 1946”.

None of the laws allows the citizen of other countries to get Bangladesh’s citizenship by marriage.

If the Citizenship Bill 2014 is passed by parliament, it will repeal two existing laws – “The Citizenship Act, 1951” and “The Bangladesh Citizenship (Temporary Provisions) Order, 1972”.

State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told banglanews that if the law is passed, citizens of any countries will get the Bangladesh’s citizenship on marriage.

The proposed law, however, sets some conditions to get the citizenship on marriage. Citizenship seekers will have to stay in Bangladesh for three years at a stretch.

In case of study and treatment abroad within the stipulated time, maximum five years will then be counted after the person’s first arrival in Bangladesh.

Dual Citizenship 

The proposed law says that a Bangladesh citizen can be a citizen of any other country except that of SAARC member countries and Myanmar as long as s/he does not renounced his loyalty to Bangladesh willingly.

Citizenship by Birth

In relation to citizenship by birth, the new law proposes that a person, born in Bangladesh, can only get the citizenship by birth, if both of his/her parents are Bangladeshi nationals.

According to the existing laws, person is allowed to become Bangladesh citizen by birth except if his or her father is an ‘enemy alien’ and the birth occurs in a place which was then under occupation by the enemy.

Cancellation of Citizenship

A person will have his/her citizenship cancelled through government order, if s/he hides information and provides false information while applying for citizenship.

Citizenship will also be terminated, if person either show disobedience to the country’s sovereignty and constitution or be proven guilty for state crimes in the court.

A person will also have his/her citizenship cancelled, if s/he stays outside Bangladesh for more than 10 years at a stretch since the day of getting the citizenship.

A person will get 30 days to seek for reconsideration after getting his/her citizenship cancelled, says the newly proposed law.

BDST: 1224 HRS, NOV 9, 2014