A new Citizenship Act for Bangladesh is on the card.
The draft of the new Citizenship Act is expected to be placed before the Cabinet for approval soon. The new law will amend the existing Citizenship Act 1952 and Citizenship Order 1972. Under the new law, foreign spouses of Bangladeshi citizens will be able to obtain Bangladeshi citizenship, if they reside in Bangladesh for 3 years. Permanent Residence for investors and other relevant persons can also be awarded under the proposed law. Controversially the law has a provision where if the marriage with the foreign national is dissolved, citizenship will be revoked. This provision may be subjected to judicial review in future if passed. International Conventions and Laws currently prohibit countries to revoke citizenships once awarded, on the grounds that such revocation may create statelessness.
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