Bangladesh Rejects Sheikh Hasina’s Passport Request, Seeks Extradition from India
The remarks came after Hasina reportedly applied for a new passport and national identity card to facilitate her return to Bangladesh from India, where she has been living in exile.
Bangladesh has rejected former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s application for a new passport and national identity card, with a senior government official declaring that the country does not issue passports to terrorists.
Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Humayun Kabir, told reporters that Hasina, who is currently living in India, was a fugitive convict and should be returned to Bangladesh to face legal proceedings.
“Our country does not issue passports to terrorists,” Kabir said, referring to the former prime minister.
He said Bangladesh has an extradition treaty with India and wants New Delhi to hand over Hasina to Bangladeshi authorities.
In a sarcastic remark, Kabir questioned whether the government should treat Hasina like an ordinary traveller.
“Should we treat Hasina like an ordinary passenger and tell her to come and visit her in-laws’ home?” he asked.
The remarks came after Hasina reportedly applied for a new passport and national identity card to facilitate her return to Bangladesh from India, where she has been living in exile.
Hasina told Reuters that she intends to return to Bangladesh and appear before a court.
Her aides said a final date for her return would be announced once the necessary administrative and legal procedures had been completed.
The former prime minister was sentenced to death in absentia by Bangladesh’s war crimes tribunal in November 2025 for ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising.
Hasina has denied the allegations against her while living in exile in India.
Her possible return remains a sensitive issue in relations between Bangladesh and India, particularly as Dhaka continues to seek her extradition under the existing bilateral agreement.
