Bangladeshs ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina applies for new passport

Bangladesh’s Ousted Prime Minister Requests Passport and Identity Card for Return

Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in India for two years, has requested a new passport and identity card from Bangladesh’s government to facilitate her return to the country by December. According to Reuters, Hasina stated that she intends to surrender before a court in Bangladesh, although the exact date of her appearance is yet to be announced.

Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by Bangladesh’s war crimes court last November for ordering a deadly crackdown on student protests in 2024. The United Nations estimates that up to 1,400 people may have been killed in the violence.

In a letter to the Bangladeshi government, Hasina requested that her application be processed “expeditiously” based on her Bangladeshi nationality. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed stated that the foreign and law ministries are reviewing the matter, including the legal basis for the applications and whether Hasina is entitled to apply for the documents.

Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir previously stated that Bangladesh wants Hasina returned under an extradition treaty with India. However, New Delhi has declined to hand her over.

Hasina’s potential return raises questions about the implications of her return on the country’s legal and political landscape. Her supporters remain loyal, and her return could impact the government’s efforts to stabilize the economy after two years of disruption.

The exact details of Hasina’s request and the process for her return are still being reviewed by the Bangladeshi authorities.

Source: Al Jazeera