Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has requested a new passport and National Identity Card (NID), in what Reuters called the clearest sign yet of her plan to return from exile in India. Her party, the Awami League, announced the move on Monday, 9 November 2026. Dhaka has not accepted the premise of the request and says it wants India to hand her over.
What Did Hasina Ask For?
According to a letter seen by Reuters, Hasina’s lawyers at London-based Matrix Chambers wrote to Preeti Rahman, the acting high commissioner at the Bangladesh embassy in New Delhi. They asked for a new passport and NID, citing the reported revocation of her existing documents. The letter also asked for the application to be processed quickly, on the basis of her Bangladeshi nationality and obligations under international human rights instruments.
It is her first such communication since she left Bangladesh in August 2024.
What Does Her Camp Say?
Her aide Abu Obaidha Arin told the Associated Press (AP) that the request is a significant step toward her homecoming. He said she is determined to return by December. Hasina herself told AP earlier this month that she would come back in December “at any cost”. Reuters reported that she intends to surrender before a court, and that her aides will announce the exact date once formalities are complete.
How Has Dhaka Responded?
Bangladesh’s Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs, Humaiun Kobir, said last week that the government wants India to hand Hasina over under the existing extradition treaty between the two countries. He dismissed suggestions that she would need travel documents. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the foreign and law ministries are examining whether there is any legal basis for the applications, according to New Age as cited by Al Jazeera.
Prothom Alo reported that diplomatic sources in Dhaka could not confirm whether the application was made with Hasina’s explicit authorisation, according to NewsGram. India has so far declined to hand her over.
The Legal Background
Bangladesh’s war-crimes court sentenced Hasina to death in her absence in November 2025. The charges relate to what the court said was her role in ordering a deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising of 2024. She has denied the charges from exile.
What Happens Next?
The application alone does not show that she has permission to travel, as Outlook India noted. The route of any return remains contested: her camp talks of a voluntary return to face court, while the government talks of extradition. Reuters noted that Hasina, who led Bangladesh for 20 years across multiple terms, still has support among parts of the population. A return could sharpen political divisions as the government works to restore stability after more than two years of upheaval.
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