New Delhi: Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has applied for a new national passport and National Identity Card through the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, signalling concrete preparations for a possible return to the country next month.
The request was made in a formal letter dated 9 November and submitted by her London-based lawyer, Steven Powles KC of Matrix Chambers. It was addressed to Acting High Commissioner Preeti Rahman. The letter notes that Hasina’s existing passport and NID are understood to have been cancelled by the interim authorities and other agencies in Dhaka, and asks that new documents be issued on the basis of her Bangladeshi citizenship and relevant legal and international obligations. It also seeks expedited processing of the applications.
Hasina has remained in India since August 2024, after leaving Bangladesh amid widespread protests that ultimately led to her ouster. She has repeatedly stated her intention to return in December, although no exact date has been announced.
In November 2025, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity linked to the security forces’ response to the 2024 demonstrations. Hasina has rejected the conviction, denied the allegations, and challenged the legitimacy of proceedings held in her absence.
Her Awami League party remains banned. Any voluntary return by the former prime minister would place the interim government in a politically sensitive position regarding its handling of the country’s most prominent opposition figure, while also testing the already tense bilateral relationship between Dhaka and New Delhi.
The High Commission has not yet publicly responded to the request.