Bangladesh Cabinet approved draft of Citizenship Law, 2016 expanding scope for dual citizenship Bangladesh Cabinet approved draft of Citizenship Law, 2016 expanding scope for dual citizenship

Bangladesh government has given its clearance for a new law that will expand the scope for dual citizenship for Bangladeshis.The new law includes a provision for five years of imprisonment should one give false information to acquire citizenship.

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

The new law includes the following

• Provision for five years of imprisonment should one give false information to acquire citizenship.The law only allowed dual citizenship for Bangladeshis in the USand the UK
• The new law says Bangladeshis cannot go for dual citizenship with SAARC countries and Myanmar.
• 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’

Foreign nationals, married to Bangladeshis, will have to reside in Bangladesh for at least five years to qualify for citizenship.