Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (79) has applied to the government of Bangladesh for a new passport to facilitate her return to the country.
Due to the student protests held in Bangladesh in 2024, Sheikh Hasina left the country with the help of the military. She then took refuge in India. Since then, Sheikh Hasina has been living in India for about two years. Meanwhile, in a ruling issued by a special tribunal in Bangladesh in 2025 in a case related to the student protests, she was sentenced to death, stating that by ordering the crackdown on the protests, she was responsible for the deaths of several thousand people.
Citing this verdict, the Bangladesh government repeatedly requested that Sheikh Hasina be extradited to Bangladesh. However, India rejected that request. Nevertheless, Sheikh Hasina has already said that she will return to Bangladesh in December this year.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina has applied by email to the Bangladesh Embassy in India in Delhi, requesting a new passport and a national identity card.
This has also been confirmed by Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party. Similarly, Abu Obaidah Arin, a close aide to Sheikh Hasina, said, “This is an important step toward her return to her home country. The previous government had canceled all the documents she had. In this situation, she is engaged in efforts to regain her fundamental rights related to her Bangladeshi citizenship. Her return to Bangladesh in December is certain. There should be no doubt about this,” he said.
Bangladesh government comment: Regarding Sheikh Hasina’s application for a new passport, Bangladesh government chief prosecutor M.D. Aminul Islam said, “She has no intention of returning to Bangladesh. This is a political drama. All of her recent actions are political theater. If she is returning to Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina has not taken any legal steps regarding that so far,” he said.
Earlier, in an interview given last Thursday, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Humayun Kabir had criticized Sheikh Hasina as a terrorist and dictator living in exile abroad, and had also said that there is no possibility of issuing her a passport or travel document.
Bangladesh Law Minister Muhammad Asaduzzaman said, “We are examining the status of her application. We are reviewing whether Hasina has applied properly and whether Hasina has the legal right to apply in this manner,” he said.
Similarly, Asaduzzaman said that a request has been made to India to extradite Sheikh Hasina. Speaking on this, he said, “Sheikh Hasina is a convicted criminal sentenced by the court. Bangladesh has requested India to extradite her. The government is taking all necessary steps to extradite Sheikh Hasina from India. The government will not act emotionally in this matter.”
