Bangladesh Cuts Ties: Dhaka Rejects Exiled PM's Passport Bid

Bangladesh has denied former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's application for a new passport and national identity card.

The rejection occurs as the 79-year-old politician prepares for a planned return to the country in December. This move comes more than two years after mass protests forced her out of office. She fled to India in August 2024. Hasina faces a death sentence issued in her absence last year. The International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka convicted her of crimes against humanity. These charges stem from the government crackdown on student-led demonstrations. She maintains her innocence regarding the charges.

Hasina submitted her request to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi after her existing documents were revoked. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir stated that Dhaka intends to use extradition agreements with India to transfer her. Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam, who secured her conviction, told reporters on Tuesday that she will face execution if she returns to Bangladesh.

Her potential arrival poses a challenge for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's government. The administration is working to restore stability following the 2024 uprising. The United Nations reported that more than 1,400 people died during those events. Hasina ruled for nearly 20 years. She still commands a base of supporters, though many citizens want her executed. Her political party, the Awami League, is currently banned. Many of its leaders are either imprisoned or living abroad.

Experts question whether the passport application signals a true intent to return. Zillur Rahman, president of the Dhaka-based Centre for Governance Studies, said the move appears designed to keep party members active. He argued that Hasina's refusal to cede control limits the party's strategic options. Retired US diplomat Jon F Danilowicz, formerly deputy chief of mission in Dhaka, described the promised December return as a bluff. He believes the tactic aims to rally her supporters.

Faiz Sobhan, senior research director at the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, agreed that the announcement could boost party morale. He suggested it allows Hasina to gauge public sentiment inside Bangladesh. Some supporters have reacted with enthusiasm despite uncertainty about the logistics of her return. Arman Rahman, a Dhaka-based Awami League activist and former student-wing leader, told Al Jazeera he believes she will come back in December. Many other party figures interviewed could not explain her specific plans.

India's role remains central to the situation. New Delhi has sheltered Hasina since her flight, maintaining a long-standing alliance with her. Bangladesh has repeatedly requested her extradition under their bilateral treaty. India stated that these requests are under review. Both governments have expressed interest in improving strained relations. India's foreign ministry said in April that it wants constructive engagement with Bangladesh's new government.

Sreeradha Datta, an international affairs professor at O P Jindal Global University near New Delhi, said India views Hasina as a longstanding friend. India seeks to separate her presence from its relations with Dhaka. Danilowicz argued that hosting her carries increasing diplomatic costs, though he considered Indian assistance with her return unlikely. Zillur Rahman said abandoning Hasina could undermine other allies' confidence in India, but continued refuge would not necessarily mean support for restoring her political position.

Analysts see little chance of an agreement with the governing Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Sobhan said accommodating Hasina would risk alienating BNP supporters who endured imprisonment and harassment under her rule. BNP acting secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi dismissed the prospect of her return to power on Monday. Sobhan noted that the tribunal's verdict constrained the government's options. This leaves extradition as Dhaka's only formal route to bring her back.