Ex-Bangladesh leader Hasina applies for passport in signal she’s ready for homecoming

Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has requested a new passport and identity card to return from her self-imposed exile in India, reported Reuters. This is her first official move since fleeing the country in 2024, following a deadly uprising that ended her long rule. The request comes as a clear signal that she is ready to return to Bangladesh in December, more than two years after her fall.

Hasina's lawyers at London-based Matrix Chambers have written to Preeti Rahman, acting high commissioner at Bangladesh's embassy in New Delhi, requesting the processing of her new documents expeditiously. She plans to return to surrender before a court, with the date to be announced once formalities are completed. The Bangladesh War-Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death in her absence for ordering a crackdown on students during the uprising, of which nearly 1,400 were killed.

Hasina denies any wrongdoing and has challenged the legitimacy of the trial. Her return could trigger fresh political and legal tensions, as her Awami League party is now banned in Bangladesh. Despite facing a ban and jailing of many of her party colleagues, Hasina still enjoys support among sections of the population.