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Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has sought a new passport and national identity card (NID) from the Bangladesh Embassy in New Delhi to facilitate her planned return to the country in December.
This marks her first such communication since fleeing to India in August 2024 following a deadly uprising that ended her 15-year rule. According to Reuters, Hasina's lawyers at London-based Matrix Chambers submitted a letter on Monday to Preeti Rahman, acting high commissioner at Bangladesh's embassy in New Delhi, requesting that the necessary documents be issued to facilitate her return. The letter marks Hasina's first such communication since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024, signaling a step towards implementing her stated plan to return from exile. "In view of the reported revocation of her existing Bangladeshi passport and National 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 National Identity Card for our client," her lawyers wrote. The legal representatives also urged the authorities to process the applications "expeditiously", citing her Bangladeshi nationality and obligations under international human rights instruments. As per Reuters, Hasina intends to return to Bangladesh and surrender before a court. Her aides said on Monday that the exact date of her return would be announced after the necessary formalities are completed. However, her anticipated return could trigger fresh political and legal tensions, as Bangladesh's war-crimes court sentenced her to death in November 2025 in absentia for ordering a deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising. Hasina has denied the allegations while remaining in India. Hasina's departure followed weeks of escalating protests that initially erupted in June 2024 over a controversial government job quota system. The demonstrations intensified after Bangladesh's High Court reinstated a reservation system that allocated 30 per cent of government jobs to descendants of freedom fighters from the 1971 Liberation War. Students demanding merit-based recruitment took to the streets, but the movement rapidly expanded amid violent clashes, allegations of excessive use of force by security personnel, unemployment concerns and broader public anger over governance and alleged corruption. The government's response, including a deadly crackdown on protesters, further intensified the demonstrations, transforming the student-led movement into a nationwide campaign demanding Hasina's resignation. On August 5, 2024, as thousands marched towards Dhaka, Hasina resigned and fled to India aboard a military aircraft. Meanwhile, Hasina's Awami League, which was Bangladesh's largest political party before her ouster, has since been banned. Several of its leaders and supporters have either been arrested or gone into exile in India and other countries. Hasina's continued stay in India has also remained a contentious issue in bilateral relations. Bangladesh has repeatedly sought her extradition, with its interim administration submitting a formal request to New Delhi in December 2024. India has maintained that the request is being examined in accordance with established legal procedures. Indian officials have also indicated that the matter involves legal and diplomatic considerations between the two neighbouring countries. (ANI)
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