The Bangladeshi citizenship act regulates citizenship and citizenship of the people's Republic of Bangladesh. The law regulates the nationality and citizenship status of all people living in Bangladesh, as well as all people of Bangladeshi origin. This allows children of expatriates, foreigners, and residents of Bangladesh to verify their citizenship status and, if necessary, apply for and obtain Bangladeshi citizenship.

The Basic Law on Bangladeshi citizenship is the Citizenship Act of 1951, originally the Pakistani Citizenship Act of 1951, later supplemented by a number of legislative Orders introduced by the Government of Bangladesh.

Jus sanguinis / citizenship by right of blood

According to the Citizenship Act of 1951, one of the ways to acquire Bangladeshi citizenship is jus sanguinis (citizenship by blood law). This means that a person can obtain citizenship regardless of whether they were born on the sovereign territory of Bangladesh or not. Bangladeshi citizenship is primarily granted by jus sanguinis or by bloodline, regardless of the place or legality of birth. Thus, any child born to a Bangladeshi woman outside of Bangladesh will still be a Bangladeshi citizen, while a child born to two non-Bangladeshi citizens will not. This method is limited if the child's parents also obtained citizenship by naturalization or origin.

Please note, however, that the law states that for this purpose, if the parent from whom the citizenship is to be inherited has obtained Bangladeshi citizenship by origin (and not by birth, for example), then the birth must be registered with the nearest Bangladeshi Embassy.

Jus soli / citizenship by Land Law (place of birth)

Citizenship is acquired by jus soli (citizenship by right of birth within the territory) or at birth, when the identity or citizenship of the parents is unknown. In this regard, it is considered that the child was born to Bangladeshi citizens and, therefore, receives citizenship after birth. However, this does not apply to children of hostile foreigners born in Bangladesh, nor does it apply to people living illegally in Bangladesh or refugees in Bangladesh. Hostile aliens are people who do not recognize or refuse to recognize the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the people's Republic of Bangladesh. Hostile foreigners are also people whose country of citizenship has been or has been at war with Bangladesh since the nation's father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared independence in March 1971. Jus soli citizenship has been granted to some Bangladeshi people who speak Urdu since May 2008 by a high court verdict.

Naturalization 

Naturalization is permitted by the Bangladesh Citizenship Act. Any adult of good character who is married to a Bangladeshi national, has been legally residing in Bangladesh for five years, speaks Bengali and intends to reside in Bangladesh can apply for naturalization. Naturalization can be granted categorically or without certain rights or privileges, such as the right to run for parliamentary elections as a candidate.

Anyone who is a citizen of a country where Bangladeshi citizens are prohibited from naturalizing (for example, Saudi Arabia) is not eligible for naturalization. Naturalization of a foreigner does not automatically apply to their foreign children. However, they can apply as soon as the naturalized person takes the oath of allegiance to citizenship.

In case of refusal, the person can appeal the decision within thirty days.

If accepted, the naturalized citizen must take the oath of allegiance within thirty days of the grant being granted. A person is considered naturalized only after being sworn in.

Naturalization is at the discretion of the Government of Bangladesh and can be achieved categorically or by depriving certain rights and privileges. However, generally, individuals who meet these requirements can apply for naturalization:

• must have lived in Bangladesh for at least 5 years (2 years for those who are married to Bangladesh), living continuously for 12 months;
• speak Bengali;
• intend to live in Bangladesh.

Those who naturalize as Bangladeshi citizens must renounce any other citizenship. Once a naturalized foreigner has taken the oath of office, spouses and children can apply for naturalization.

Dual citizenship 

Dual citizenship is allowed under certain circumstances, if the person is not a citizen of the SAARK country. Such dual citizens of Bangladesh can apply for a certificate of dual citizenship, which makes the use of a foreign passport legal, but people are not held accountable for not applying for such a certificate. It is also possible to enter Bangladesh as a person of Bangladeshi origin or as a spouse or child of a person of Bangladeshi origin using a seal, stamp or sticker on foreign passports without a visa (NVR). An eligible person can apply for an NVR stamp/sticker at any Bangladesh mission abroad. NVR exceptions include citizens of SAARC countries.

Citizenship for investment 

People who invest in Bangladesh can obtain permanent resident status by investing a minimum of 75,000 in non-refundable funds. In addition to many other benefits, permanent residence allows a person to stay in Bangladesh for as long as they want, as well as an unlimited number of times to enter and leave Bangladesh without a visa. Citizenship can be obtained by investing at least 500,000 or transferring 1,000,000 dollars USA to any recognized financial institution in Bangladesh. While initial investments for permanent residence or citizenship are non-refundable, profits, dividends, and salaries are repatriated abroad.

Honorary citizenship 

The Government of Bangladesh reserves the right to grant honorary citizenship to foreign citizens who make an exemplary contribution to Bangladesh's society or have outstanding achievements for Bangladesh, such as the honor given to Father Marino Rigon or Gordon Greenidge. Gordon Greenidge was appointed head coach of the Bangladesh national cricket team in 1997. His leadership helped Bangladesh's men's cricket team win the 1997 ICC Trophy by defeating 22 other countries, which also secured qualification for the 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup. Participating in their first-ever Cricket World Cup changed Bangladesh cricket forever and led to the status of the Bangladesh national cricket team in 2000. Gordon Greenidge was awarded honorary Bangladeshi citizenship by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for these outstanding achievements in winning the 1997 ICC trophy and at the same time qualifying for the Cricket World Cup.