42 minutes ago
Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought fresh travel documents from Bangladesh's embassy in Delhi, signalling preparations for her December return. Dhaka has insisted she must be extradited under the India-Bangladesh treaty.
Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed her interest to return to Dhaka in December and surrender before a court. (Photo: AFP/File)
New Delhi,Nov 9, 2026 10:00 IST
Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought a fresh passport and national identity card, taking a significant step towards her proposed return from India in December. The development comes even as Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir insisted that Hasina should be extradited rather than issued travel documents.
"We want Hasina to be handed over. She will be handed over. She is a terrorist. She is a fugitive. There is an active extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India," Kobir told reporters, according to Bangladeshi news website The Daily Star. Dismissing the need for a passport, he said her return should be pursued through the existing extradition mechanism.
In a significant development, Reuters reported on Monday that Hasina's lawyers had written to Bangladesh's embassy in New Delhi seeking fresh travel and identity documents. The news agency accessed the letter, which marks Hasina's first such communication since she fled Bangladesh in August 2024 following a deadly student-led uprising that ended her 20-year rule.
The letter, sent by her lawyers at London-based Matrix Chambers to Preeti Rahman, acting high commissioner at Bangladesh's embassy in Delhi, requested that fresh documents be issued on the basis of Hasina's Bangladeshi nationality.
"In view of the reported revocation of her existing Bangladeshi passport and Identity Card (NID) by the Interim Government and other authorities, I respectfully request that you take the necessary steps to issue a new Bangladeshi passport and Identity Card for our client," the letter said.
Her lawyers also urged the embassy to process the applications "expeditiously", citing her Bangladeshi nationality and the country's obligations under international human rights instruments.
Hasina has previously told Reuters that she intends to return to Bangladesh in December and surrender before a court. Her aides said the date of her return would be announced once the necessary formalities were completed.
WHY DOES HASINA WANTS TO RETURN TO BANGLADESH?
Hasina fled to India in August 2024 after weeks of student-led protests against her government escalated into a nationwide uprising, eventually bringing her more than 20-year rule to an end.
Her proposed return comes amid serious legal challenges. Bangladesh's Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death in November 2025 in absentia for crimes against humanity over her government's deadly crackdown on protesters during the uprising.
Hasina has denied the charges from exile. She has said she plans to surrender before a court upon returning to Bangladesh.
Her Awami League, which was the country's largest political party during her rule, has also been banned following her ouster. Several of its leaders and supporters have been arrested, while others have gone into exile in India and elsewhere.
BANGLADESH WANTS HASINA EXTRADITED
Dhaka has maintained that Hasina should be returned through the extradition mechanism rather than being issued fresh travel documents.
Minister Kobir questioned why a passport would be necessary for someone sought by Bangladesh under an existing extradition arrangement.
"Is she coming to visit her in-laws' home in Rangpur that we need to give her a passport? You do not need a passport to arrest terrorists and criminals. This is a matter of handover, and a judicial process is in place," he said, according to The Daily Star.
He added that Bangladesh would continue pursuing her return through established legal and diplomatic channels.
INDIA-BANGLADESH TIES IN FOCUS
Hasina's presence in India has been a major source of friction between New Delhi and Dhaka since her government was toppled in 2024. Bangladesh's repeated requests for her extradition have added to tensions between the two neighbours.
A possible return could deepen political divisions within Bangladesh, where sections of the population continue to support Hasina, while her opponents demand accountability for the crackdown on protesters.
At the same time, resolving the issue could potentially ease tensions between New Delhi and Dhaka, whose ties deteriorated sharply after India provided Hasina refuge.
For now, Hasina's passport application has added a fresh dimension to the diplomatic standoff, with her lawyers seeking to facilitate her return while Dhaka continues to press for her extradition.
- Ends
