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Sheikh Hasina seeks fresh passport, NID ahead of planned return to Bangladesh

"Is she coming to visit her in-laws' home in Rangpur that we need to give her a passport? You do not need a passport to arrest terrorists and criminals," said Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has sought a fresh passport and national identity card (NID), taking a step towards her planned return from India in December.

However, Dhaka has insisted that she should be extradited rather than issued new travel documents.

Hasina's lawyers at London-based Matrix Chambers wrote to Bangladesh's embassy in New Delhi seeking the documents, Reuters reported on Monday. The agency accessed the letter, which was addressed to acting High Commissioner Preeti Rahman.

"In view of the reported revocation of her existing Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card (NID) by the Interim Government and other authorities, I respectfully request that you take the necessary steps to issue a new Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card for our client," the letter said.

The lawyers also urged the embassy to process the applications "expeditiously", citing Hasina's Bangladeshi nationality and the country's international human rights obligations.

Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said Hasina should be handed over under the existing extradition treaty between the two countries.

"She is a terrorist. She is a fugitive. There is an active extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India," Kobir told reporters, according to The Daily Star. "Is she coming to visit her in-laws' home in Rangpur that we need to give her a passport? You do not need a passport to arrest terrorists and criminals. This is a matter of handover, and a judicial process is in place," he added.

Hasina fled to India in August 2024 after a student-led uprising brought her more than 20-year rule to an end. She has said she plans to return in December and surrender before a court.

Her proposed return comes as she faces serious legal challenges. Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia in November 2025 for crimes against humanity over the crackdown on protesters. Hasina has denied the charges.

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