Sheikh Hasina Seeks Fresh Passport Ahead of December Return to Bangladesh as Dhaka Presses India for Extradition

November 9, 2026

New Delhi: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has applied for a fresh Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card (NID) ahead of her planned return to the country in December, the Awami League announced on Monday.

The development comes amid reports that the previous Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration had revoked her existing documents. Hasina, through her legal representatives at London-based Matrix Chambers, has approached the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, seeking expedited issuance of the passport and NID.

According to the Awami League, the application refers to Hasina’s Bangladeshi nationality and the country’s obligations under international human rights instruments. The former prime minister has reiterated her intention to return to Bangladesh in December and face the legal proceedings against her.

Hasina has been living in India since leaving Bangladesh following the collapse of her government in August 2024.

In a statement, the Awami League said Hasina’s identity and political journey were inseparably connected to Bangladesh. It described her return to her homeland as a matter of national identity and a fundamental right.

Bangladesh Seeks Hasina’s Extradition

The passport application comes as Bangladesh continues to press India for Hasina’s extradition.

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said last week that Dhaka wanted India to hand over Hasina under the existing extradition treaty. He dismissed suggestions that she would need a passport or other travel documents to return.

“We want Hasina to be handed over. She will be handed over. She is a terrorist. She is a fugitive. There is an active extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India,” The Daily Star quoted Kobir as saying.

He said the matter involved a handover under an ongoing judicial process rather than a visit requiring travel documents.

Earlier in October, Hasina said during a virtual press conference in Washington that she was determined to return to Bangladesh despite the risk of arrest, torture or death.

“How risky it is, I don’t care. I have to go back,” she said, adding that she could not remain away while her supporters and ordinary citizens continued to suffer.

Hasina also thanked the Indian government and people for providing her refuge during the political upheaval. She compared the support to the reception she received after several members of her family were assassinated in 1975.