Date of publication:
01/08/2026
Bangladesh
Do domestic laws and policies provide refugees and stateless persons access to naturalization?
Assessment by population
Analysis
Bangladesh is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol and does not have domestic legislation on asylum. While the Bangladesh government has provided refuge to the Rohingyas, they have not been officially recognized as refugees. As a result, Rohingya refugees are facing various restrictions.
As per Section 9 of the Citizenship Act of 1951, a person can become a citizen of Bangladesh by naturalization. Following that, as per Section 3 of the Naturalization Act of 1926, any adult of good character who is married to a Bangladeshi and residing legally in Bangladesh for a period of five years; competent in Bengali language; and intending to reside in Bangladesh, can apply for naturalization. However, the above is not applicable to Rohingya refugees as formal registration of marriages of refugees in Bangladesh has been progressively restricted through administrative circulars stipulating marriages between refugees and Bangladeshis cannot be registered.
Despite statutory laws allowing foreign nationals to acquire Bangladeshi citizenship, in practice, Rohingya refugees cannot become citizens through naturalization due to the Government's imposed restrictions.
Related provisions of domestic law or policy
Naturalization Act, 1926
- Year: 1926
- Type: Domestic law
- Rights Category: Nationality & facilitated naturalization, Documentation
- Link to external source: https://www.refworld.org/legal/legislation/natlegbod/1926/en/17214?prevDestination=search&prevPath=/search?keywords=The+Naturalization+Act&order=desc&sm_country_name%5B%5D=Bangladesh&sort=score&result=result-17214-en
Legal provision
Grant of certificate of naturalization
3. (1) The Government may grant a certificate of naturalization to any person who makes an application in this behalf and satisfies the Government- (a) that he is not a minor; (b) that he is neither a citizen of Bangladesh nor a subject of any state of which a citizen of Bangladesh is prevented by or under any law from becoming a subject by naturalization; (c) that he has resided in Bangladesh throughout the period of twelve months immediately preceding the date of the application, and has, during the seven years immediately preceding the said period of twelve months, resided in Bangladesh for a period amounting in the aggregate to not less than four years; (d) that he is of good character; (e) that he has an adequate knowledge of 2[Bengali]; and (f) that he intends, if the application is granted, to reside in Bangladesh or to enter or to continue in the service of the 3[Republic] in Bangladesh: Provided that nothing in clause (c) or clause (f) shall apply in the case of a woman who was a citizen of Bangladesh previously to her marriage to a person not citizen of Bangladesh and whose husband has died or whose marriage has been dissolved.
The Citizenship Act
- Year: 1951
- Type: Domestic law
- Rights Category: Nationality & facilitated naturalization, Documentation
- Link to external source: https://www.refworld.org/legal/legislation/natlegbod/1951/en/149429
Legal provision
Citizenship by Naturalisation
The Government may, upon an application made to it in that behalf by any person who has been granted a certificate of naturalisation under the Naturalisation Act, 1926, register that person as a citizen of Bangladesh by naturalisation:Provided that the Government may register any person as a citizen of Bangladesh without his having obtained a certificate of naturalisation as aforesaid.