Supporters of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina took to the streets across Bangladesh after she said she had asked for a passport to come home from exile in India. In one Dhaka neighbourhood, members of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of her party, clashed with security forces. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds, according to the BBC.
The Passport Request
Hasina, 78, asked for a new passport and national identity card through a letter from a London law firm to Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi. Her aide said she is determined to return by December. She has also said she is willing to face arrest or even execution.
Dhaka Says No
The interim government in Dhaka quickly rejected the request. The chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal said no passport can be issued to a fugitive, and that Sheikh Hasina has been one since before her conviction. An adviser to the prime minister said she had not submitted an application herself, and challenged her to seek extradition if she truly wants to return.
India’s Position
India has declined to hand her over. Its foreign affairs spokesperson called extradition a legal matter and described the passport requirement as a technical issue, saying:
“Obviously, for the travel of people, you need a travel document.”
Background to the Case
Hasina fled to India in August 2024 after weeks of student-led protests. Bangladesh’s war crimes court sentenced her to death in absentia in November 2025 for ordering a deadly crackdown on those protests. She is accused of presiding over a crackdown that killed as many as 1,400 people, which she and her supporters dispute.
Fears of More Unrest
Analysts quoted by the South China Morning Post warned that her planned return could become a major political flashpoint. Bangladesh has already arrested 12 people over petrol bomb attacks and faces protests from garment workers. Some experts doubt she will actually return to face a death sentence, and see the announcement as a way to stay politically relevant.
The standoff also complicates efforts to repair ties between Dhaka and New Delhi, which worsened sharply after Sheikh Hasina fled. How India handles her stay, and how Bangladesh manages street unrest, will be an early test for both governments.
