Any citizen can leave, re-enter Bangladesh at any time: Rumeen on Hasina’s possible return

Any Bangladeshi citizen has the constitutional right to leave the country and return, independent lawmaker Rumeen Farhana said today (18 September), when asked whether former prime minister Sheikh Hasina could return to Bangladesh.

“Any citizen of Bangladesh can leave the country at any time and can also enter the country at any time. This is clearly stated in the Constitution. What steps the government will take after someone enters Bangladesh is up to the government,” she said.

Rumeen made the remarks after attending a reception for meritorious students at the Ashuganj Upazila Parishad auditorium in Brahmanbaria. The event was organised by the Ashuganj Abdul Kadir Shah Library.

Rumeen, the lawmaker for Brahmanbaria-2, which comprises Sarail, Ashuganj and part of Bijoynagar, has recently faced criticism from the Ashuganj upazila unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) over remarks she made in parliament criticising the BNP-led government.

The local BNP unit organised a broom procession in protest and warned that she could be declared unwelcome in Ashuganj unless she withdrew her remarks.

Responding to the criticism today, Rumeen said disagreements and protests were part of political life.

“Such things happen in politics. It is nothing. There will be differences of opinion in politics, and people may be declared unwelcome. There will be rallies and meetings in politics – isn’t that what politics is? So, all of these are normal,” she said.