Sheikh Hasina Applies for New Passport and National ID Card Ahead of Planned Return to Bangladesh

Lawyers send letter to Bangladesh embassy in Delhi, first formal step to implement plan to return to Bangladesh in December — Exclusive Reuters Report

Staff Correspondent. November 9, 2026.

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is in self-imposed exile in India, has applied for a new Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card (NID) as part of her preparations to return home, Reuters reported on Monday (November 9).

According to a letter seen by Reuters, London-based law firm Matrix Chambers has applied to the Bangladesh Embassy in Delhi to issue a new passport and NID on behalf of Sheikh Hasina. This is the first such formal communication by Sheikh Hasina since she fled the country and sought refuge in India on August 5, 2024.

The letter, sent to the Acting High Commissioner of Bangladesh Embassy in Delhi, Preeti Rahman, said that in the context of the information received that the interim government and the concerned authorities have cancelled Sheikh Hasina’s previous Bangladeshi passport and national identity card, necessary steps should be taken to issue a new passport and NID based on her Bangladeshi citizenship.

The lawyers requested for the speedy disposal of the application. At the same time, they also mentioned Bangladesh’s responsibilities under international human rights instruments and treaties in the letter.

According to a Reuters report, the application is the clearest and most tangible step yet in Sheikh Hasina’s plan to return to Bangladesh in December. Sheikh Hasina had previously told Reuters in an interview that she wanted to return to Bangladesh and surrender to the court. Her aides said that the exact date of her return would be announced after various formalities were completed.

The death penalty verdict and the legal complications of returning home

Sheikh Hasina’s return to the country is fraught with serious legal complications. In November last year, the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh sentenced her to death in absentia for ordering a deadly operation to suppress student and public protests in July-August 2024. However, Sheikh Hasina has been denying these allegations from India.

His party, the Awami League, is also currently banned in Bangladesh. Since its ouster, many of its leaders and activists have been arrested, while many others are in hiding or exile in various countries, including India.

Political and diplomatic implications of the return

A Reuters analysis says Sheikh Hasina’s return could create new tensions and divisions in Bangladesh’s internal political situation. Sheikh Hasina, who has served as prime minister for nearly 20 years in various terms, still enjoys the support of a section of the Bangladeshi population.

On the other hand, Reuters noted that her return to the country could also play a role in improving tense relations between Bangladesh and India. Relations between Dhaka and New Delhi have deteriorated significantly since Sheikh Hasina was granted asylum in 2024.

It is worth noting that on November 5, Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir had said that there was no need to issue a new passport or travel pass to bring Sheikh Hasina back to the country. He had said that initiatives would be taken to bring her back through extradition under the Bangladesh-India extradition agreement.

In this situation, Sheikh Hasina’s lawyers’ application for a new passport and NID, and the Bangladesh government’s stance on bringing her back through the extradition process, have created a new legal and diplomatic situation surrounding her possible return.