PM Hasina Asks for New Passport, Signals Return to Bangladesh

New Delhi – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – PM Hasina has formally asked for a new passport and national identity card so she can return to Bangladesh from exile in India. Her lawyers sent the request on Monday, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

This is her first such message since she fled the country in 2024. It is also the clearest sign yet that she plans to come back in December.

Her lawyers at Matrix Chambers in London wrote to Preeti Rahman, the acting high commissioner at the Bangladesh embassy in Delhi. They said her old passport and ID card were reportedly cancelled by the interim government.

The letter asks officials to process the new documents quickly. It cites her Bangladeshi nationality and international human rights rules.

Hasina has told Reuters she wants to surrender before a court. Her aides say the return date will be shared once all formalities are done.

The case is serious. In November last year, Bangladesh’s war-crimes court sentenced her to death in her absence. The court said she ordered a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising. She denies the charges.

Her party, the Awami League, was once the largest in the country. It is now banned. Many of its leaders are in jail or living abroad.

Hasina ruled for 20 years over several terms and still has support among some people. Her return could deepen political divisions as Dhaka tries to restore calm.

It could also affect ties with India. Relations turned tense after New Delhi gave her shelter.

The embassy in Delhi and the office of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman have not yet replied to requests for comment.