Bangladesh allows its diplomats to marry foreigners

by Sanjay Jha | May 11, 2008 at 10:43 pm

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Bangladesh government has ended a very old law banning marriage with foreigners. Under the existing law, the government employees can marry foreign nationals only with the assent of president and there was complete embargo for foreign ministry officials. The move came after some senior Bangladeshi foreign officials expressed their desire to marry foreigner and were ready to quit the job. This prompted Bangladeshi governemnt to amend old law. The government after independece from Pakistan had put a ban with fear that ""there is a risk of state secrets being leaked out."

Ending an old dilemma of Foreign Service cadres, emergency-ruled Bangladesh's interim cabinet has amended a 1976 law to allow its diplomats to marry foreigners, officials said here on Monday.

Officials said the advisory council in its weekly meeting with chief advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed on late Sunday approved the legal amendment allowing diplomatic job holders to marry foreigners.

"With the approval to the Public Servant (marriage with foreign national) (amendments) Ordinance 2008, the Foreign Service officers can now marry foreign nationals with the permission of the President," a Cabinet division spokesman said.