Hasina seeks passport ahead of Bangladesh return

Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has approached the country’s diplomatic mission in New Delhi to obtain a new passport and national identity card, signalling her intention to return home in December after more than two years in exile in India.

Hasina’s lawyers submitted a formal request to Bangladesh’s acting high commissioner in Delhi on Monday, seeking the issuance of fresh travel and identity documents. The letter said her existing Bangladeshi passport and national identity card had reportedly been revoked by the interim government and other authorities.

The legal team, representing Hasina through London-based Matrix Chambers, urged the embassy to process the applications without delay. It argued that she remained entitled to the documents on the basis of her Bangladeshi nationality and relevant international human rights obligations.

The request is considered her clearest move towards implementing plans to return to Bangladesh since fleeing the country in August 2024 following a deadly student-led uprising that ended her 20-year rule as prime minister.

Hasina has previously told Reuters that she intends to return and surrender before a court. Her aides said the exact date of her return in December would be announced after the necessary formalities had been completed.

Her planned return could create fresh political and legal challenges for Bangladesh. The country’s war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia in November 2025 over her alleged role in ordering a deadly crackdown on protesters during the uprising. Hasina has rejected the accusations while remaining in India.

The former prime minister’s Awami League party, which was once Bangladesh’s largest political force, has also been banned following her removal from power. Several senior party figures have been arrested, while others have gone into exile, particularly in India.

Despite her departure, Hasina retains support among sections of the Bangladeshi population. Her possible return could deepen political divisions as the country continues efforts to restore stability after years of political turmoil.

The development could also have implications for relations between Bangladesh and India. Ties between the neighbouring countries deteriorated after New Delhi provided refuge to Hasina following her removal from office.

Bangladesh’s embassy in Delhi and representatives of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government had not immediately commented on the passport request.