Hasina Seeks Fresh Passport, ID Ahead of Planned Return to Bangladesh

In a move that could signal the end of a two‑year exile, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has formally requested a new passport and National Identity Card from the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi. The request, disclosed by the Awami League on its official X channel, aligns with Hasina’s repeated declarations that she will travel back to Bangladesh in December to face the country’s judicial process.

Representing Hasina, a team of lawyers from the London‑based Matrix Chambers wrote to Acting High Commissioner Preeti Rahman, urging that the issuance of fresh documents be expedited. The letter points out that the interim government has allegedly revoked her existing passport and NID, and it invokes Bangladesh’s commitments under international human‑rights covenants to support her claim for new travel credentials.

Hasina has publicly pledged to surrender to the courts and submit to any proceedings. Her aides said the exact date of her return will be announced once all documentation is secured.

She fled Bangladesh in August 2024 after a large‑scale student protest movement led to her removal from office. Hasina served as prime minister for almost two decades and is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nation’s founding leader. After her ouster, the Awami League was banned, and many senior members are imprisoned or living overseas.

In a landmark decision, a special Bangladeshi court sentenced Hasina to death in absentia in November 2025 for allegedly ordering a crackdown on the 2024 student protests. She denies the charges.

The potential return is delicate for India‑Bangladesh diplomatic ties. India granted Hasina asylum, prompting friction with Bangladesh, which has repeatedly requested her extradition— a request that India has so far declined.