Sheikh Hasina Asks for a New Passport in Clearest Sign Yet She Plans to Return to Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s ousted former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has formally asked for a new passport and national identity card so she can return home from exile in India. The request, made on Monday, 9 November 2026, is the clearest step yet that she intends to act on her plan to come back to Bangladesh in December — more than two years after a student-led uprising ended her long rule.

It is also her first such formal communication since she fled the country in 2024. And it sets up a direct clash with the government in Dhaka, which has already said it will not issue her travel documents and wants her back only through extradition.

Here is what happened, why it matters, and what could happen next.

What Hasina asked for

According to Reuters, which saw the letter, Hasina’s lawyers at London-based Matrix Chambers wrote to Preeti Rahman, the acting high commissioner at Bangladesh’s embassy in Delhi. The letter asked for the authorities to “take the necessary steps to issue a new Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card for our client”.

The lawyers pointed to the reported cancellation of her existing passport and national identity card (NID) by Bangladesh’s interim government and other authorities. They asked for the applications to be processed “expeditiously”, on the basis of her Bangladeshi nationality and in line with “obligations arising under international human rights instruments”.

The Associated Press independently reported a similar letter, seen by AP, that was emailed to Bangladesh’s top diplomat in London. In it, a lawyer for Hasina urged the diplomat to take the necessary action to provide her with a passport and national identity card.

Hasina has told Reuters she plans to return to surrender before a court. Her aides said on Monday that the exact date of her return would be announced once various formalities were completed. One of her aides told AP: “She is determined to return to Bangladesh by December, and she will undoubtedly return home.”

She first announced in August that she intended to return in December. In an interview with AP this month, she said she would return “at any cost”.

Why this request matters

A passport may sound like a small administrative detail, but in Hasina’s case it is the key that unlocks her return. Without valid travel documents, she cannot easily travel back to Bangladesh — or at least, not on her own terms.

That is exactly why the request matters so much. Until now, her promise to return in December was only words. A formal written request for a passport and identity card is an action. It shows she is taking concrete steps to make the return happen, and it forces the government in Dhaka to respond.

The request also raises the stakes for everyone involved:

• For Hasina, it is a test of whether she can come home as a citizen returning to face a court, rather than as a prisoner handed over by India.
• For the government in Dhaka, it is a test of whether it will let its most famous political opponent back into the country, knowing she still has supporters.
• For India, it is another difficult moment in an already strained relationship with Bangladesh. New Delhi gave Hasina refuge after she fled, and that decision badly damaged its ties with Dhaka.

Reuters noted that a return by Hasina could sharpen political divisions in Bangladesh, as the government tries to restore stability after more than two years of upheaval. On the other hand, it could also improve Bangladesh’s strained ties with India, which deteriorated sharply after New Delhi gave her shelter.

The government’s answer: extradition, not a passport

The government in Dhaka has already made its position clear — and it is not in Hasina’s favour.

On Thursday, 5 November, Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir ruled out issuing any passport or travel pass to the former prime minister. He said Bangladesh would seek her return from India only through the existing bilateral extradition treaty.

“A passport is not required to bring back terrorists or criminals. It is a matter of handing them over,” Kobir said, according to The Business Standard.

He added that there was no legal requirement to issue a regular passport or travel document to facilitate the return of a fugitive convicted of serious crimes, because the extradition mechanism already provided a framework for her repatriation. “There is a judicial warrant, there is an established judicial process, and there is an extradition treaty. Therefore, there is no need or requirement to issue or hand over a passport,” he said.

Kobir also confirmed that Bangladesh wants Hasina handed over under the extradition treaty with India. Bangladesh has repeatedly asked India to extradite her, but India has declined to hand her over so far.

Spokespeople for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, and for the acting high commissioner in Delhi, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the passport request, Reuters reported.

How Hasina ended up in exile

To understand why a passport request has become such a big political story, it helps to look back at how Hasina lost power.

Sheikh Hasina ruled Bangladesh for 20 years as prime minister across multiple terms, making her one of the longest-serving leaders in the country’s history. Her Awami League was the country’s largest political party.

That rule ended on 5 August 2024, when a student-led uprising forced her from power. Bangladesh’s military sent her to India, where she has lived in self-imposed exile ever since.

In November 2025, a Bangladeshi war-crimes court sentenced her to death in her absence for ordering a deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising. She has denied the charges from exile.

Since her fall, her Awami League party has been banned. Many of her party colleagues have either been jailed or are in self-imposed exile in India or elsewhere.

Despite all of this, Hasina still enjoys support among sections of the population, Reuters reported. That is why her possible return is so sensitive: it could re-energise her supporters, but it could also deepen the political divisions that have shaken Bangladesh since 2024.

What happens next

Several things will now be watched closely:

1. Will Dhaka issue the documents?

The government has already said no, but the formal request puts the question to it directly. If it refuses, Hasina’s lawyers may argue that denying a citizen a passport violates her rights under international human rights law — the same argument made in their letter.

2. Will India get involved?

Hasina is living in India, and any return would need New Delhi’s cooperation. India has so far declined to hand her over to Bangladesh, and the two countries’ relationship has suffered badly since she was given refuge. How India handles her travel documents could become a diplomatic issue of its own.

3. When exactly will she return?

Her aides say the date will be announced once the formalities are complete. December is the target she has repeated several times. If she does return, the first question will be whether she is arrested on arrival — and whether she is allowed to surrender before a court, as she has said she plans to do.

4. What will it mean for Bangladesh’s politics?

A return by Hasina, even to face trial, would put her back at the centre of Bangladeshi politics after more than two years away. For her supporters, it would be a moment of hope. For her opponents, it would be a moment of tension. For the government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, it would be one of its biggest tests since taking office.

What this means in simple terms

Think of it this way. A former leader who was forced out of her country, sentenced to death in her absence, and whose party is now banned, is asking for the basic documents any citizen needs to travel home. She says she wants to come back and face a court. The government says she does not need a passport — she should be sent back as an extradited prisoner instead.

Both sides are really arguing about something bigger: on what terms, if ever, Sheikh Hasina comes home. That question now has a deadline attached to it — December — and a formal letter that neither side can ignore.

FAQ

Who is Sheikh Hasina?

She is Bangladesh’s former prime minister, who ruled the country for 20 years across multiple terms before being forced from power by a student-led uprising on 5 August 2024. She has lived in exile in India ever since.

What did she ask for on 9 November 2026?

Through her lawyers at London-based Matrix Chambers, she formally requested a new Bangladeshi passport and national identity card, saying her existing documents had been cancelled. The request was made to Bangladesh’s acting high commissioner in Delhi.

Why does she need a new passport?

Her existing Bangladeshi passport and national identity card were reportedly revoked by the interim government and other authorities after she fled in 2024. Without valid documents, she cannot travel back to Bangladesh on her own terms.

When does she plan to return?

She has said she plans to return in December 2026 and surrender before a court. Her aides say the exact date will be announced once the formalities are complete.

What has the government in Dhaka said?

Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said on 5 November that Bangladesh will not issue her a passport or travel pass. He said her return should happen only through the extradition treaty with India.

Was she sentenced to death?

Yes. In November 2025, a Bangladeshi war-crimes court sentenced her to death in her absence for ordering a deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising. She has denied the charges.

Is her party still active?

No. The Awami League, once Bangladesh’s largest party, has been banned since her fall. Many of her colleagues have been jailed or are in exile.

Conclusion

Sheikh Hasina’s request for a new passport is a small document with very large consequences. It turns a promise to return into a formal process, and it forces Bangladesh’s government to decide — in public — how it will handle the return of the woman it sentenced to death in her absence.

The government has already said it will not issue the documents and wants her extradited instead. Hasina’s team argues she has a right to travel documents as a Bangladeshi citizen. Between those two positions sits India, which is sheltering her and has refused to hand her over.

December is now the month to watch. If Hasina follows through on her plan, her return could reshape Bangladesh’s politics — and its relationship with India — all over again.

Sources

• Reuters: “Hasina seeks new passport in clearest sign of Bangladesh return” — https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hasina-seeks-new-passport-clearest-sign-bangladesh-return-2026-11-09/
• The Hindu: “Bangladesh’s ousted leader Sheikh Hasina appeals for a new passport to return from exile” — https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/bangladeshs-ousted-leader-sheikh-hasina-appeals-for-a-new-passport-to-return-from-exile/article71681436.ece
• Arab News: “Bangladesh’s ousted leader Sheikh Hasina appeals for a new passport to return from exile” — https://www.arabnews.com/world/bangladeshs-ousted-leader-sheikh-hasina-appeals-for-a-new-passport-to-return-from-exile-3010657
• TBS News: “Hasina must be handed over under prisoner extradition treaty, not issued passport: Humaiun” — https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/hasina-must-be-handed-over-under-prisoner-extradition-treaty-not-issued-passport-humaiun

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.