How foreign nationals can obtain Bangladeshi citizenship

There could be several reasons a person wants to live in a foreign country. It could be for job or business purpose, low cost of living, some countries may have particularly appealing climates. Or people may simply have fallen in love with a country they visited or staying as a student and vowed to themselves they would one day permanently settle there.

For any person who wants to permanently settle down in a foreign country to spend the rest of his life, it is very important to become a citizen of that country. Simply because a person needs to have certain rights so that he can own property, obtain a passport, govt id, open a bank account, get a driving license, incorporate a business, rights to vote etc.

Bangladesh has one of the most rapidly growing economy and a hub for many business sectors. Simultaneously it has captivating beauty and offers very affordable living.

According to the UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2020, FDI inflows to Bangladesh fell by 56% to USD 1,6 billion in 2019 (compared to USD 3,6 billion in 2018). The decrease mirrors an adjustment from a record level in 2018. The export-oriented clothing industry is still an important recipient of FDI, with major investors from the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong and China. Total FDI stock was estimated USD 16,4 billion in 2019 by the UNCTAD. The main investors in the country are China, South Korea, India, Egypt, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia. According to the latest available data from Bangladesh Bank, FDI flows rose by 5.36% on the year to USD 1.65 billion in July-October 2019.

According to the information of prothomalo, Bangla tribune newspaper and immigration department sources; 85,486 citizens of 44 countries are working legally at over 1,000 local and multinational companies in Bangladesh with neighbouring India dominating the number, mostly in the export-oriented readymade garment (RMG) sector. But, industry insiders say, the number is much higher as many works without a valid work permit and they remit the money through illegal channels. Foreigners working in Bangladesh repatriates $2 billion or Tk 165 billion a year through formal channels, according to Pew Research Center. However, the unofficial estimate shows Indian nationals working in the country alone take home Tk 320 billion annually. According to the police’s Special Branch (SB), a total of 245,775 foreign nationals are living in Bangladesh.

Whatever the reason if you are searching on the internet how to get Bangladesh citizenship, You’re in the right place. In this article, I’ll walk you through the passage of citizenship laws & regulations and enlighten you with the ways of getting Bangladeshi citizenship in a very simple manner…

The related laws and orders regarding getting Bangladeshi citizenship are-

•         Bangladesh Constitution
•         The Naturalization Act 1926
•         The citizenship Act 1951
•         The Bangladesh citizenship order 1972

There are four doors which are currently open for foreign nationals to become a citizen of Bangladesh-

1.     Citizenship by birth
2.     Citizenship by marriage
3.     Citizenship by investment
4.     Citizenship by naturalization

I am going to provide explanations of the aforementioned methods one by one-

The citizenship Act 1951, was actually the law of Pakistan government. After getting separated from Pakistan, Bangladesh is still following that law with some slight changes at 2009, still this is the prime law in regards to providing citizenship.

Another law named- Bangladesh citizenship Act-2017 has been drafted, but it has yet to get parliamentary approval to come into force. So today we will cover the citizenship Act 1951, The Bangladesh citizenship order 1972 and The Naturalization Act 1926, which are mainly followed.

• Citizenship by Birth– Those that are born to at least one Bangladeshi parent acquires citizenship at birth. Those that are born in Bangladesh to parents whose identity and/or nationality are unknown also acquire citizenship by birth, as the child is assumed to be born to Bangladeshi nationals. Citizenship at birth is also conferred upon Urdu-speaking people of Bangladesh since May 2008.
• Citizenship by Marriage– Those who marry a Bangladeshi citizen may apply for citizenship provided that he or she has resided in Bangladesh for at least 2 years.
• Citizenship by Investment– Those who invest 500k ($5,000,000.00) U.S.D in an industrial or commercial project in Bangladesh or those who transfer 100k ($1,000,000.00) USD to any recognized financial institution of Bangladesh may apply for Bangladeshi citizenship. This amount is non-repatriable. (it means you are not allowed to take this money back to your native country). Those who also invest 75k ($75,000.00) USD in Bangladesh may apply for PR (permanent residency).
• Citizenship by Naturalization- Citizenship by naturalization has been provided under The Naturalization Act 1926 enacted by the British. Naturalization is at the discretion of the Bangladesh government and may be provided categorically or by withholding certain rights and privileges. However, generally, those who are meeting the following requirements may apply for naturalization: must be residing in Bangladesh for at least 5 years(2 years for those married to a Bangladeshi), having resided continuously for 12 months; be of good character; competent in Bangla language; intent to reside in Bangladesh. Those who naturalize as Bangladeshi citizens must give up any other nationalities or citizenships. After the naturalized alien has taken the oath, the spouse and children may apply for naturalization.

Apart from this; there are another two or three ways to get Bangladeshi citizenship, which are dual citizenship and honorary citizenship. But these are hardly popular methods to obtain citizenship. Thank you for reading this article, hope it’ll help you on your journey to obtain Bangladesh citizenship and subsequent proceedings.

Written by Md Abdullah Al Mamun: Apprentice lawyer; Dhaka Judge Court। e-mail:  sublimelegal.law@gmail.com