Sheikh Hasina seeks passport to return to Bangladesh amid death sentence
The ousted former prime minister has applied for a new passport and identity card from the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, while authorities in Dhaka have rejected the request and warned she could face execution if she returns.
Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has applied to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi for a new passport and national identity card after her previous documents were revoked. The request comes more than two years after she fled to India following a mass uprising in 2024 that led to her removal from power.
Dhaka has denied the passport application and warned that Hasina could be extradited to Bangladesh under the existing bilateral treaty with India. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir told Al Jazeera that Bangladesh does not issue passports to individuals convicted of crimes against humanity and that the government will pursue her under the current extradition arrangements.
Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam, who secured a death sentence for Hasina at the International Crimes Tribunal, said she would be executed if she returned to the country.
Analysts said the passport request appears aimed at keeping Hasina politically relevant within the Awami League. Zillur Rahman, president of the Centre for Governance Studies, said Hasina likely wants to maintain engagement of party leaders and activists, even though she knows the legal consequences of a return.
Retired U.S. diplomat Jon F. Danilowicz described the plan as a bluff intended to rally supporters and counter perceptions of Hasward relevance. Faiz Sobhan of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute said the announcement helps gauge domestic sentiment but that an actual return is unlikely because it would entail facing the death penalty or imprisonment.
Supporters within the Awami League expressed confidence that Hasina will return, though details of any concrete plan were not provided.
India, which has hosted Hasina since August 2024, says it is reviewing Bangladesh's extradition requests while seeking to improve bilateral ties. Professor Sreeradha Datta said New Delhi views Hasina as a long-standing friend but has not indicated it will facilitate her return. Danilowicz added that India is likely to prefer a third-country solution for Hasina to reduce diplomatic friction.
The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, dismissed the prospect of a political settlement with Hasina, with party officials stating that any attempt by her to regain power would be unrealistic.