Hasina Seeks New Passport and NID to Return to Bangladesh

Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has applied for a new passport and national identity card (NID) through the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, India, as she seeks to return to the country.

She submitted the application on Monday, according to a letter obtained by a news agency.

This is the first time Hasina has applied for the documents since fleeing Bangladesh for India on August 5, 2024, amid a student-led mass uprising.

The move has drawn attention to her possible return, with reports suggesting that she may come back in December.

Hasina has said she wants to return to Bangladesh and surrender to the court. Her associates said on Monday that the date of her return would be announced after the necessary formalities are completed.

In November 2025, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia in a case involving allegations that she ordered a deadly crackdown during the student-led uprising. Hasina, who remains in exile in India, has denied the allegations.

Lawyers from the London-based legal firm Matrix Chambers have sent a letter to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Hasina's behalf.

Addressed to Acting High Commissioner Priti Rahman, the letter said the former interim government and other authorities had reportedly cancelled Hasina's Bangladeshi passport and NID.

The lawyers requested the necessary steps to issue new Bangladeshi passports and national identity cards for their client.

The letter also urged the authorities to process the applications promptly, citing Hasina's Bangladeshi citizenship and Bangladesh's obligations under various international human rights treaties.

The acting high commissioner and spokespersons for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman were contacted for comments but had not responded immediately.

Before Hasina's ouster, the Awami League was Bangladesh's largest political party. Its activities are now banned in the country. Many of its leaders and activists are in prison, while others are living in exile in India and elsewhere.

Hasina served as Bangladesh's prime minister for a total of 20 years across several terms and retains support among a section of the population.

Her possible return could intensify political and legal tensions as the current government seeks to restore stability following years of turmoil.

The move could also have implications for Bangladesh's relations with India, which granted Hasina refuge after she left Bangladesh in August 2024. Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since then.