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Experts welcome move

The Anti-Corruption Commission has found that a section of public servants have secretly acquired dual citizenship and foreign passports to conceal their illegal wealth and launder money abroad. 

Its inquiry has revealed that the public servants exploit dual citizenship not only to launder illegal assets but also to undermine the country’s economy and the integrity of public service.

The commission recently started an inquiry to find out public servants having dual citizenship. 

Welcoming the move, Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that accruing dual citizenship by public servants was a multistage violation of rules.

Accruing dual citizenship by public servants concealing information is cheating, while money laundering by them is a crime and an offence under commission’s jurisdiction, he said.

Noting that the commission should have taken the step much earlier, he said, ‘We hope that the ACC will set an example by taking necessary action against the public servants involved in such offences.’ 

As a part of the inquiry, ACC director general for money laundering Md Mokammel Haque on January 5 sent a letter to the secretaries to all ministries seeking information about the public servants having dual citizenship.

The commission stated that it found recently that   some dishonest government employees were concealing information and obtaining and using passports of other countries.

They are staying in those countries to avoid punishment or legal action in the ongoing anti-corruption drives. 

In this way, the suspects are trying to protect themselves from legal action and cover up their misdeeds, stated the commission’s letter.

Accruing dual citizenship by public servants is a clear violation of section 40 of the Government Service Act 2018, it said.

The commission has urged all ministries to submit information on public servants with dual citizenship or foreign passports.

It has also urged policymakers to consider these violations during recruitment and reappointment processes.

ACC director general for prevention Md Aktar Hossain said that the commission’s inquiry revealed that the main purpose of public servants’ obtaining dual citizenship was to conceal their illegal wealth and launder it abroad. 

Such activities are contributing to the spread of corruption in the country and harming the economy, he said. 

Apart from this, after acquiring citizenship in a different country, the public servants are seen to be indifferent to the moral responsibilities of government service in Bangladesh, he added. 

Former ACC director general Md Moyeedul Islam said that it was a good decision to investigate the dual citizenship of public servants violating laws.

The commission should thoroughly investigate whether the public servants laundered money or syphoned out assets using the foreign passport, he said.

Accruing dual citizenship by public servants is a violation of the existing rules and regulations, Moyeedul added.

Earlier, the commission found information of dual citizenship of 24 former ministers and lawmakers of the ousted Awami League regime.

In December 2024, the commission sent letters to the secretaries of the Election Commission and the home ministry seeking actions against the 24 former AL ministers and lawmakers.

Seven of the 24 former ministers and lawmakers hold US citizenship or green cards. They are former agriculture minister Abdus Shahid, former state minister for power Nasrul Hamid, former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for information Mohammad Ali Arafat, deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s special assistant Abdus Sobhan Mia Golap and former lawmakers Mahfuzur Rahman and Salahuddin Mahmud Zahid.

Former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, former LGRD minister Md Tajul Islam, former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, former state minister for shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury and former state minister for civil aviation and tourism Md Mahbub Ali hold British citizenship. 

Former fisheries and livestock minister Abdur Rahman and former lawmakers Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Alauddin Ahmed Chowdhury Nasim, Shamim Osman, Shafiqul Islam Shimul and Habib Hasan hold Canadian citizenship.

Former LGRD minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain has Swiss citizenship and former railways minister Zillul Hakim has a Japanese residency card.

Former lawmakers Tanvir Hasan and MA Wahid are citizens of Germany and Papua New Guinea, respectively. 

The commission has also found that Hasina’s private industry affairs adviser Salman F Rahman holds Cypriot citizenship, and former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud has a Belgian residency card.

According to article 66 of the constitution, individuals who acquire foreign citizenship or pledge allegiance to a foreign state cannot serve as lawmakers or ministers. 

The law prohibits acquiring dual citizenship by public servants but many countries, including Bangladesh, have provisions for dual citizenship under specific regulations, said home ministry and commission officials.

To obtain dual citizenship, one must apply to the home ministry’s security division, they said. 

If a child is born in the United States to Bangladeshi parents, she or he is entitled to US citizenship by birth, and simultaneously retain her or his Bangladeshi citizenship. 

If Bangladeshis want to acquire dual citizenship, the application must be submitted to the home ministry’s immigration and security division. The ministry processes applications within 60 working days, following verification by intelligence agencies. 

Bangladeshis have the opportunity to acquire dual citizenship in 101 countries, said the ministry officials.