Debt Defaulters and Dual Citizens Have no Place on the Ballot
Dr. Md. Anwar Hossain :
The foundation of a democratic state is transparency, accountability and patriotism. The legislature or parliament is the sacred place where the fate of the country is decided.
But when people who have declared loyalty to a foreign country or embezzled people’s deposits (bank money) try to enter that parliament, the foundation of democracy is under threat.
In the context of the 2026 Bangladesh National Parliament elections, the issue of participation of debt defaulters and dual citizens in the elections is now the talk of the country.
Morality and patriotism are essential to become a lawmaker of the state, which is questionable in the case of these two categories of candidates.
According to Article 66 (2) of the Constitution of Bangladesh, if a person acquires citizenship of a foreign country or declares loyalty to that country, he will not be eligible to become a member of parliament. Similarly, according to the RPO (Representation of People Order), loan defaulters cannot participate in elections.
According to the report of the Credit Information Bureau of Bangladesh Bank, if the defaulter does not regularize his loan at least 7 days before submitting his nomination papers, the candidate is considered ineligible for the election. In Bangladesh, most loan defaulters flout this rule by running for the by-election.
The logic behind this law is that a legislator takes an oath to protect the sovereignty and secrecy of the state. When a dual citizen takes an oath to another country, he pledges to protect the interests of that country. When the interests of two countries conflict, whose side will he stand on? This is extremely risky for national security.
On the other hand, loan defaulters break the economic backbone of the state by not returning the people’s money.
Those who are not faithful in repaying their loans and have already broken contracts with financial institutions do not have the moral right to have the important responsibility of protecting the people’s deposits.
On the other hand, when a person takes citizenship of a country, he has to take an oath of unwavering loyalty to the constitution and state of that country.
This means that he is also obliged to take up arms for that country in times of war or emergency. When such a person becomes a member of the parliament of Bangladesh, he basically resorts to ‘hypocritical politics’.
In fact, if someone truly loved the country and wanted to serve the people, he would have renounced his foreign citizenship before submitting his nomination papers for the elections. Not doing so and keeping it a secret means that he sees this country only as a source of power, but his safe destination is another country. People with this ‘fugitive mentality’ becoming lawmakers is harmful to both countries.
‘Distribution of knowledge’ of loan defaulters vs. reality: It is surprising but true that many so-called intellectuals and businessmen of Bangladesh who used to give inflammatory speeches on television talk shows against the economic crisis and loan defaulters, have their names on the electoral list of 2026 as defaulters.
Why are they defaulters? They have withdrawn thousands of crores of taka from the bank by exercising political influence from those close to power.
During elections in Bangladesh, it is seen that by using loopholes in the law, loan defaulters are given the opportunity to contest elections by depositing a small amount of money (such as 1-2% of the total loan) as installments. In most cases, they never pay the installments after their candidacy is declared valid in the election. Such an opportunity is morally unacceptable.
Because, bank money is the money of the people; those who have lost this money are practically ‘enemies of the people’.
The actual statistics of the Bangladesh 2026 election will be available after the final announcement by the Election Commission. However, according to initial reports, this time the nomination papers of several hundred candidates have been cancelled. A large part of them are loan defaulters and those who have concealed dual citizenship.
According to the report of January 2, 2026, the nomination papers of several heavyweight candidates have also been cancelled due to complications related to bank loans and allegations of dual citizenship.
According to various media reports, many people claim to have renounced their citizenship or submitted a ‘renunciation letter’ abroad, but according to the records of the foreign country, they are still citizens. Many others try to remain free by taking ‘benami loans’ or loans in the names of family members. The Election Commission should expose their true nature through a forensic audit.
In fact, the Bangladesh government can take the following measures to disqualify candidates from any election for debt defaulters and dual citizens: 1. Integrated database: Launch a real-time information sharing system between the Election Commission and Bangladesh Bank and the Immigration Department. 2. Law reform: Amend the RPO to permanently end the provision of ‘debt defaulters free by paying in installments’. 3. Diplomatic outreach: Verify the list of dual citizens in coordination with foreign embassies. It is very important for the patriotic public to keep a vigilant eye on debt defaulters and dual citizens.
Below are the things that the public can do from my perspective: 1. Awareness: If you know the foreign passport or bank loan information of a candidate, immediately inform the Returning Officer. 2. Social boycott: Socially boycott debt defaulters and hypocritical patriots. 3. Power of vote: Reject the corrupt through ballot.
Not mentioning the issue of dual citizenship in the Election Commission affidavit is not only a moral offense, it is a major fraud and deception under the Penal Code. If the information is hidden in the affidavit, the candidate should be charged with fraud, including cancellation of his nomination. If found guilty, he should be sentenced to imprisonment and banned from any future elections for life.
In conclusion, it can be said that the one who hides his citizenship and plunders the deposited wealth of the people, he can no longer be a ‘people’s representative’. May the 2026 elections be free from taint. Let today’s oath be to close the doors of Parliament forever to bank robbers and opportunists who have stepped on two boats. It must be remembered that Parliament is not a business center, it is a symbol of the hopes and aspirations of 160 million people.
(The author is an Essayist, Writer, President of the international anti-drug organization- Freedom International Anti-Alcohol. Email Address: [email protected])
