Ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Seeks Passport, a Sign of Her Return Plan
Passport request and return pledge
Hasina has been living in India for two years after leaving Bangladesh in 2024. She has now asked the Bangladeshi government to issue a new passport and identity card so she can travel back.
Her letter, cited by Reuters, asked officials to handle the request promptly, citing her Bangladeshi nationality. Hasina has said she intends to surrender to a court, while aides said Monday that a date would be announced after formalities are completed.
Court sentence over protests
United Nations estimates suggest as many as 1,400 people may have died during the unrest. The protests followed the Supreme Court’s restoration of a job quota system favoring descendants of liberation activists, and a student-led mass movement ousted Hasina.
Political and regional stakes
Hasina is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s founder and first president. She led the country from 1996 to 2001 and again from 2009 to 2024, becoming its longest-serving prime minister.
Relations between Bangladesh and India deteriorated sharply after Hasina fled to India in 2024. Her return could ease those tensions, though its broader effects remain uncertain.
Key points
- Hasina has requested a passport and identity card to return from India.
- She has promised to come back in December and says she will surrender before a court.
- A court sentenced her to death in absentia over the 2024 protest crackdown.
- Her return could affect Bangladesh’s political stability and ties with India.