DHAKA: The Foreign Service officers can now marry foreign citizens as the cabinet has approved the Public Servant (Marriage with Foreign Nationals) Act -2015 in principle.
   
The approval came from a regular meeting of the government’s decision making body at secretariat on Monday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

After the meeting, cabinet secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, in a press meet, said the legal amendment allowing diplomatic job holders to marry foreigners will be placed before parliament session.

The secretary added: As the ordinance was adopted under military rule, it has an obligation to translate it in bangla. The bangla conversion of Public Servant Ordinance-1976 is the Public Servant (marriage with foreign national) (amendments) Act 2015.

 As per the Supreme Court order, the ordinance which adopted in military rule has been converted to bangla, he added.

Under the 1976 ordinance, the government employees could marry foreign nationals with the president's permission but there was an embargo regarding marriage of foreign ministry officials with foreigners.

But with the approval to the Public Servant (marriage with foreign national) (amendments) Ordinance 2008, the Foreign Service officers can now marry foreign nationals with the permission of the President.

However, if someone got married without the approval of the President, it would be considered a criminal offense.

BDST: 1301 HRS, MAR 2, 2015