The current government of Bangladesh has dampened the hopes of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was planning to return to her homeland. The Bangladesh government has outright rejected the former Prime Minister’s application for a new passport. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir clarified that Hasina cannot be issued a new passport because she has been sentenced to death by a court. Conversely, Dhaka has demanded that India return the former Prime Minister under the existing extradition treaty between the two countries.
State Minister Humayun Kabir termed Hasina’s application for a new passport as completely irrelevant. The minister explicitly stated that a person convicted in a murder case has no right to seek such official government documents. Additionally, Minister Kabir questioned the role of those advocating on behalf of the former Prime Minister.
Before the Bangladesh government took this firm stance, Sheikh Hasina had planned to return home in December. To that end, her lawyers had sent a letter to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, applying for a new passport and a National Identity Card (NID). However, Dhaka’s latest decision has created new complications for Hasina’s return to her homeland.
