Hasina’s Lawyers Reportedly Seek New Passport and ID for Bangladesh Return

Lawyers acting in Sheikh Hasina’s name reportedly requested a new Bangladeshi passport and national identity card for the ousted former prime minister, who is in India and has said she plans to return to Bangladesh in December. Diplomatic sources said Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi received the email on Monday, November 9, and forwarded it to the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka for instructions. The email came from the UK-based Matrix Chambers and described the lawyer as acting on Hasina’s behalf. However, diplomatic sources in Dhaka said it contained no authorization or proof of her consent, leaving them unable to establish whether she had authorized the application. It referred to reports that her previous passport and identity card had been revoked. The letter was addressed to acting high commissioner Preeti Rahman. It sought expedited processing on the basis of Hasina’s Bangladeshi nationality and international human-rights obligations. Her aides said on Monday that a return date would be announced after the formalities were completed; Hasina has said she would surrender before a court. Hasina fled to India in August 2024 after a student-led uprising ended her rule. Bangladesh’s war-crimes court sentenced her to death in absentia in November 2025 for ordering a deadly crackdown on the uprising. She denies the charges. Her Awami League party is banned.