Sheikh Hasina Seeks New Passport in Clearest Sign Yet of Planned Bangladesh Return

Ousted Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina has formally asked for a new passport and national identity card, taking the clearest step yet towards her stated plan to return to Bangladesh in December, more than two years after a deadly uprising ended her 15-year rule. Source: Reuters

The request came in a letter sent on Monday by her London-based lawyers, Matrix Chambers, to Preeti Rahman, the acting high commissioner at Bangladesh's embassy in New Delhi. The letter said her existing passport and National Identity Card had reportedly been revoked by the interim government and other authorities, and asked that new documents be issued. It is her first such communication since she fled to India in August 2024. Source: Reuters

Hasina has told Reuters she plans to return and surrender before a court, and her aides said on Monday that the date would be announced once various formalities were completed. The letter asked for the applications to be processed expeditiously, citing her Bangladeshi nationality and obligations arising under international human rights instruments. Source: Reuters

The move raises the prospect of fresh political and legal tension in Bangladesh, where her Awami League, once the country's largest party, is now banned. A war-crimes court sentenced Hasina to death in absentia in November 2025 for ordering the deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising. She has denied the charges from exile. Source: Reuters

Dhaka has been pressing India to hand her over under the two countries' extradition treaty rather than issue travel documents for her return. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said on 5 November that a passport was not needed for Hasina's return through extradition. Source: Outlook India

In an interview with The Associated Press this month, Hasina said she would return to Bangladesh in December at any cost. An aide, Abu Obaidha Arin, told the news agency she was determined to return by December and would undoubtedly return home. Source: Associated Press

Hasina fled Dhaka on 5 August 2024 after weeks of student-led protests forced her from power, ending 15 years in office. Bangladesh's military flew her to India, where she has lived in self-imposed exile since. Source: Associated Press

Hasina's legal team also sent a similar request to Bangladesh's top diplomat in London, according to a letter seen by The Associated Press. Her counsel urged the diplomat to take the necessary action to provide her with a passport and national identity card, describing the move as a significant step towards her homecoming after her documents were revoked. Source: Associated Press

It remains unclear whether the embassy will issue the documents, and the request alone does not establish that she has secured permission to travel. Her aides say the return date will be announced once formalities are complete, leaving open whether the passport application is meant to support a voluntary return or to strengthen her legal position while Dhaka pursues extradition. Source: Outlook India

This article was researched and drafted with AI assistance and verified against multiple independent sources.