Sheikh Hasina's cabinet has approved the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2009, said the prime minister's press secretary on Wednesday.
As amended, the law now sanctions the children of any Bangladeshi, man or woman, married to a foreigner as entitled to automatic citizenship, Abul Kalam Azad told reporters after the cabinet approved the amendment.
"Article 5 of the 1951 Act, which said children of any Bangladeshi woman marrying a foreigner would not be Bangladeshi citizens, has been amended," said Azad.
"The article said, only in the case of a Bangladeshi father would the children be Bangladeshis. Now this article has been rectified."
The cabinet meeting, earlier chaired by the PM, also approved in principle the proposed Barisal Metropolitan Police Act and Sylhet Metropolitan Police Act.
Azad said the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed Barisal Metropolitan Police and Sylhet Metropolitan Police Acts were raised on January 25, at the first sitting of the first session of the 9th national assembly.
A proposed amendment to the Acid Control Act was also raised in the meeting. The cabinet has asked concerned agencies to review the amendment and present the findings at its next meeting.
Subject: Citizenship Amendment Act approved................ 
Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:10 pm
