Former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina has formally applied for a new passport and national identity card through the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, signalling her intention to return home from India in December. The move comes even as Dhaka continues to press for her extradition under the existing bilateral treaty.
Hasina, 79, has remained in India since her Government was toppled in a student-led uprising in August 2024. She has repeatedly stated that she plans to return to Bangladesh later this year, despite a death sentence handed down by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal for her alleged role in the violent suppression of the protests.
The United Nations has estimated that nearly 1,400 people were killed during the unrest; Hasina has denied any wrongdoing and questioned the legitimacy of the proceedings against her.
On Monday, her London-based legal team at Matrix Chambers emailed the acting high commissioner, Preeti Rahman, asking the mission to issue a new passport and National Identity Card. The lawyers cited reports that the interim Government had revoked her existing documents and argued that the request is based on her Bangladeshi nationality and applicable domestic and international obligations.
They asked the high commission to outline the required formalities so the applications could be processed quickly.
Hours later, Bangladesh’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Humaiun Kobir, rejected the initiative. He described Hasina as a “killer and terrorist” who had fled after the deaths of more than 2,000 people and said Dhaka would continue to insist on her extradition from India.
“There is a process for her return - the extradition treaty. She can ask India to hand her over through the extradition treaty,” Kobir told reporters. He added that she should return, surrender to the court, and serve her sentence, noting that she faces a death penalty in one case and multiple other pending proceedings. “Bangladesh does not give passports to terrorists. It asks for them to be handed over.” Kobir also characterised the passport request as weak from legal, ethical, and moral standpoints.
Indian officials have offered no public comment so far. New Delhi has previously said it is examining Bangladesh’s extradition requests under legal procedures and judicial requirements. Dhaka has maintained that Hasina’s return is essential for improving bilateral relations.
People familiar with the matter said the passport application is intended to underscore that Hasina is seeking to return of her own accord rather than under formal extradition.
Holding a valid travel document would also give her greater control over how the enters-for example, by allowing her to cross a land border instead of arriving by air, where security arrangements might more easily facilitate her immediate detention. Hasina has previously said she intends to surrender to a court upon her return and is expected to announce a specific date once the necessary formalities are complete.
The developments highlight the continuing standoff between Hasina’s stated plans and the interim Government’s determination to pursue her through legal channels rather than voluntary return.