Tarique’s citizenship debate

Passport surrender, citizenship have no relation: DIP DG

The director general (DG) of the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP), Maj. Gen. Masud Rezuan, has said that there is no relationship between surrendering a passport and citizenship. “A person's citizenship won't be cancelled even if he/she doesn't have a passport,” he mentioned. He was speaking at a press briefing at his office yesterday. “Of course, it'd be a completely different issue if Tarique Rahman applies for the cancellation of his citizenship. But we don’t know if he has actually applied for that,” he said.

The chief of the DIP said that they would not issue any passport to Tarique Rahman in case he returned to Bangladesh and applied for his passport with the National Identity (NID) card. Quoting the Bangladesh Passport Order 1973, Rezaun said a person convicted for a minimum of two years would not be issued a passport even if he applies within five years of conviction. Tarique Rahman has been sentenced to 10 years in jail in Zia the Orphanage Trust case.

“Tarique Rahman can return to the country without any passport. But he has to take a travel pass from the Bangladesh high commission in London for that,” he added. The DIP chief held the press conference following the controversy over BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman’s citizenship and passport. The controversy stemmed from a recent statement of the state minister for the foreign affairs ministry, Shahriar Alam, at a reception programme of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in London.

In his statement, Shahriar Alam claimed that Tarique Rahman had surrendered his nationality when he sought political asylum in the United Kingdom (UK). Rezaun told reporters that Tarique Rahman had surrendered his passport at the Bangladesh high commission in London in 2014 and did not file any application for a new passport. “The BNP leader had renewed his passport from the Bangladesh high commission in London in 2010 after leaving Bangladesh in 2008,” he added.

Tariques citizenship debate

Passport surrender, citizenship have no relation: DIP DG

The director general (DG) of the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP), Maj. Gen. Masud Rezuan, has said that there is no relationship between surrendering a passport and citizenship. A persons citizenship wont be cancelled even if he/she doesnt have a passport, he mentioned. He was speaking at a press briefing at his office yesterday. Of course, itd be a completely different issue if Tarique Rahman applies for the cancellation of his citizenship. But we dont know if he has actually applied for that, he said. The chief of the DIP said that they would not issue any passport to Tarique Rahman in case he returned to Bangladesh and applied for his passport with the National Identity (NID) card. Quoting the Bangladesh Passport Order 1973, Rezaun said a person convicted for a minimum of two years would not be issued a passport even if he applies within five years of conviction. Tarique Rahman has been sentenced to 10 years in jail in Zia the Orphanage Trust case. Tarique Rahman can return to the country without any passport. But he has to take a travel pass from the Bangladesh high commission in London for that, he added. The DIP chief held the press conference following the controversy over BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahmans citizenship and passport. The controversy stemmed from a recent statement of the state minister for the foreign affairs ministry, Shahriar Alam, at a reception programme of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in London. In his statement, Shahriar Alam claimed that Tarique Rahman had surrendered his nationality when he sought political asylum in the United Kingdom (UK). Rezaun told reporters that Tarique Rahman had surrendered his passport at the Bangladesh high commission in London in 2014 and did not file any application for a new passport. The BNP leader had renewed his passport from the Bangladesh high commission in London in 2010 after leaving Bangladesh in 2008, he added.