Is Sheikh Hasina Ready To Return? Ousted Bangladesh PM Seeks Fresh Passport

Ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has sought a fresh passport and national identity card from the country's diplomatic mission in New Delhi, raising fresh speculation about her proposed return from India nearly two years after fleeing a student-led uprising.

According to Reuters, which reviewed a letter sent by her lawyers to the Bangladesh embassy in New Delhi on Monday, November 9, the request marks Hasina's first formal communication of this kind with Bangladeshi authorities since her departure in August 2024.

Hasina's lawyers from London-based Matrix Chambers wrote to Preeti Rahman, Bangladesh's acting high commissioner in New Delhi, seeking the issuance of new identity and travel documents. They said her existing passport and national identity card had reportedly been revoked by the interim government and other authorities.

The lawyers urged the diplomatic mission to process the applications expeditiously, citing Hasina's Bangladeshi nationality and the country's obligations under international human rights agreements.

The passport request comes amid reports that the former prime minister is considering returning to Bangladesh in December. Hasina has previously told Reuters that she intends to return and surrender before a court. Her aides have said the date will be announced after the necessary formalities are completed.

Expressing her willingness to face the consequences, Hasina recently said, "If death is my destiny, I would rather die on the soil of my own country, among my own people."

Hasina's proposed return carries significant legal risks. On November 17, 2025, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia after convicting her of crimes against humanity over the deadly crackdown on student-led protests in 2024.

The tribunal held her responsible for the violence against protesters during the uprising that ended her 15-year rule. Hasina has denied wrongdoing and rejected the proceedings, questioning the legitimacy of the trial.

Bangladesh has also sought her extradition from India under the bilateral extradition treaty between the two countries.

Her passport application could place New Delhi in a delicate diplomatic position. India provided Hasina refuge after she fled Dhaka in August 2024, but her continued presence on Indian soil has become a major source of tension between the neighbouring countries.