Bangladesh Rejects Sheikh Hasina's Passport Request as She Plans Return
Bangladesh's government has rejected a request from former prime minister Sheikh Hasina for a new passport, at a time when she wants to return home next month.
Hasina, who is 79, fled to India more than two years ago after a mass uprising forced her from power. Her existing documents have since been revoked, so she approached the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi seeking a new passport and a national identity card, according to Al Jazeera.
Hasina ruled Bangladesh for nearly 20 years. She was sentenced to death in absentia, meaning without being present in court, by the International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka. The court convicted her of crimes against humanity, a category of grave offences under international law, over a deadly crackdown on student-led protests in 2024. Hasina denies the charge.
The United Nations has said that more than 1,400 people were killed in the 2024 uprising. The scale of the violence and the question of who bears responsibility for it remain central to the dispute over Hasina's future.
The consequences of a return would be severe, according to the prosecutor who secured the sentence. Md Aminul Islam said Hasina will be executed if she comes back to Bangladesh.
