Source; Reuters
Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India, applied for a new passport and National Identity Card (NID) on Monday, saying she intends to return to Bangladesh, Reuters reported.
A letter seen by Reuters said this was her first formal contact regarding the matter since she left Bangladesh in 2024.
The application is being seen as Sheikh Hasina’s clearest move yet towards carrying out her plan to return to Bangladesh in December. Her move, more than two years after leaving the country, could create new political and legal tensions at a time when the activities of her Awami League party are banned in Bangladesh, Reuters reported.
Sheikh Hasina told Reuters that she wants to return to Bangladesh and surrender to the court. On Monday, her aides said that the date of her return would be announced after the necessary formalities were completed.
In November 2025, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia over allegations that she ordered killings and a crackdown during the so-called uprising. However, Sheikh Hasina, who is living in exile, has denied the allegations.
In a letter sent to Preeti Rahman, Bangladesh’s Acting High Commissioner in New Delhi, lawyers from the London-based law firm Matrix Chambers wrote:
“Following reports that our client’s existing Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card (NID) have been cancelled by the interim government and other authorities, we respectfully request that the necessary steps be taken to issue her a new Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card.”
The letter also requested that the applications be processed quickly, based on Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladeshi citizenship and obligations under various international human rights agreements.
Reuters contacted Preeti Rahman in New Delhi and the spokesperson for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka for comment. However, neither responded immediately.
Source: Reuters
