Questions have emerged over whether newly appointed State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir renounced his British citizenship before taking office. No clear statement has yet been provided by the government.
Law Minister Asaduzzaman on Tuesday said Humaiun’s appointment was made in line with the constitution, but did not directly confirm whether the state minister had renounced his British citizenship.
When asked by journalists on Monday, Humaiun responded with counter-questions, “Which newspaper? Who is so bothered that they won’t let me work? Is it the itch of 2008 again? That itch of Moeenuddin-Fakhruddin era flaring up once again?”
His remarks have drawn criticism over whether such responses are appropriate from a senior government official.
Rights activists and lawyers described the comments as arrogant and irresponsible, arguing that Humaiun avoided answering a constitutional question.
Prothom Alo reported on August 23 that Humaiun was a UK citizen and had been involved in Labour Party politics there. Government sources said they had no record of him applying to renounce foreign citizenship before assuming office.
Article 56(2) of the constitution says the president appoints the prime minister and other ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers. It also states that no more than one-tenth of them may be appointed from among people eligible to be elected to parliament but who are not members of parliament.
Article 66(2)(c) states that a person is not eligible to be elected to parliament or remain a member if they acquire citizenship of a foreign state or declare or acknowledge allegiance to a foreign state.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) condemned Humaiun’s remarks as an example of “shoot the messenger” behaviour, calling them a threat to press freedom and the public’s right to information.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman told The Daily Star, “Appointing a dual citizen as state minister under the technocrat quota is unconstitutional. By not clarifying his status, he has made himself questionable.” He urged the government to publish accurate information on Humaiun’s citizenship and the constitutional validity of his appointment.
Economist and rights activist Prof Anu Muhammad said Humaiun’s reaction sends the wrong message. “If he cannot clarify his own citizenship transparently, how will he represent Bangladesh internationally?” he asked, adding that ministers must uphold democratic accountability.
Constitution expert Shahdeen Malik said the legal position is more important than who reported the issue. “If he remains a British citizen, he is constitutionally ineligible to serve as minister. Even if he renounced later, questions remain about the legality of his tenure before that,” he said.
He further said questions have also arisen over other government appointments, suggesting that the government appears to be making some appointments in haste.
