Sheikh Hasina Seeks New Passport as She Plans December Return to Bangladesh

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought a new passport and national identity card as she prepares for a possible return from India in December. (File Photo via Wikipedia)

The former prime minister’s lawyers have asked Bangladesh’s diplomatic mission in New Delhi to issue a passport and national identity card. Dhaka continues to seek her extradition from India.

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sought a new passport and national identity card on Monday, 9 November 2026, as she moved to act on her stated intention to return home in December. Hasina has lived in India since 5 August 2024, when a student-led uprising forced her from office. Her aides said a travel date would be announced once the necessary formalities were completed.

Lawyers Approach Bangladesh Mission in New Delhi

Hasina’s lawyers wrote to Preeti Rahman, Bangladesh’s acting high commissioner in New Delhi, asking the mission to issue both documents. They cited the reported revocation of her previous passport and identity card by the interim government and other authorities. They asked the mission to process the request promptly on the basis of her Bangladeshi citizenship.

“This is a significant step toward her homecoming,” Hasina aide Abu Obaidha Arin told the Associated Press. He said Hasina was seeking to regain access to documents she regarded as a right of citizenship. The Bangladeshi mission and representatives of the government in Dhaka did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Reuters reported.

Dhaka Continues to Seek Extradition

Bangladesh has asked India to hand Hasina over under the countries’ extradition treaty. Dhaka has previously dismissed suggestions that she needs new identity documents to return. The passport request comes as Hasina pursues a voluntary return and the Bangladeshi government continues to seek her transfer from India.

A Bangladeshi tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia in November 2025 over the deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising. She has denied the charges. Hasina told Reuters she intended to return and surrender before a court. In a separate interview with AP earlier this month, she said she remained determined to go back in December despite the sentence.

A Return Would Bring Hasina Back Into Bangladesh’s Political Spotlight

Hasina’s Awami League has been banned since her fall, and several of her former party colleagues are in prison or living abroad. Reuters reported that she retains support among sections of the population. Her return could sharpen domestic divisions and put renewed attention on Bangladesh’s relations with India, which have been strained since New Delhi gave her refuge. Her lawyers’ request makes the December plan more concrete, while the date and arrangements remain unresolve