Dhaka, Nov 9 (PTI) Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina has sought a new passport and national identity card (NID), her party said on Monday, signalling preparations for her planned return to the country from India in December.
The Awami League’s confirmation came amid reports that Hasina, through her legal representatives at London-based Matrix Chambers, has formally requested the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi to expedite the issuance of the documents after her existing passport and identity card were reportedly revoked by the interim administration.
Hasina has been living in India since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024 following a student-led uprising that toppled her government. An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus subsequently took charge.
In February this year, parliamentary elections were held and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman formed the government.
In a social media post, the Awami League said the request for the issuance of a new passport and NID was made “citing her Bangladeshi nationality and the country’s obligations under international human rights instruments”.
Hasina has reiterated her intention to return to Bangladesh in December and face the legal proceedings against her, the party said.
The passport and NID applications mark an “important step towards fulfilling that stated intention after more than two years in India”, it said.
Hasina’s roots, identity and political journey are inseparably connected to Bangladesh. Her homeland is where she belongs, and her desire to return is a matter of national identity and the fundamental right to return to one’s own country, the party said.
“No force on earth can forever stand in the way of the daughter of Bangabandhu returning to her roots, her homeland and her people,” it said.
However, the Bangladesh government dismissed her move as “merely political posturing” and said she has no intention of returning to the country.
Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said Hasina was not taking the legal steps required for her return, The Daily Star newspaper reported.
“Her recent activities, as reported by various media outlets, are merely political posturing,” Islam said.
“She is not taking the legal steps she should take to return to Bangladesh,” he told journalists at his office.
Asked about reports that Hasina has applied for a new passport, the chief prosecutor reiterated, “She will not return… these activities are political posturing.”
Hasina faces serious legal challenges in her home country, including a death sentence handed down in absentia by a special tribunal over the deadly crackdown on protesters during the uprising in 2024.
She has denied wrongdoing and questioned the legitimacy of the proceedings.
Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kobir had on Thursday rejected the possibility of issuing Hasina any travel document or passport, describing her as a “fugitive terrorist” and a “dictator”.
Dhaka has also sought her extradition from India, where she took refuge after leaving office.
India has acknowledged receiving Bangladesh’s extradition requests but has not announced any decision on handing her over, saying the matter is being examined through established processes.
Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, ruled the country for 15 years before her ouster. Her Awami League government was accused of widespread human rights violations and suppressing political dissent.
The party has been barred from participating in the country’s political activities and elections following her removal from power. PTI SCY SCY
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