Bangladesh Prosecutor Rejects Sheikh Hasina’s Passport Request, Says Former PM Faces Death Sentence

Dhaka’s chief prosecutor has turned down ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s application for a new passport, stating that the 78-year-old politician faces immediate execution if she returns to Bangladesh. International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said the deadline to appeal her death sentence has already expired, leaving her with no remaining legal options under Bangladeshi law to contest the verdict.

Sheikh Hasina has been living in self-imposed exile in India since fleeing Dhaka in August 2024, following a mass student-led uprising that ended her 15-year rule. The Awami League chief recently submitted a formal request for a fresh passport and national identity card to facilitate a planned return to her country in December. Responding to the escalating threats from prosecutors in Dhaka, the former leader delivered a defiant message regarding her planned homecoming. “I may be jailed, they may try to kill me,” Sheikh Hasina said, acknowledging the severe security risks awaiting her in Bangladesh.

Extradition Demands and Passport Denial

The interim government in Dhaka rejected Hasina’s passport application on November 9, effectively closing off standard travel channels for her return. Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam rejected reports suggesting that the government might consider issuing her travel papers, emphasizing that a fugitive already sentenced to capital punishment cannot be granted a passport. Islam stated that the only legal pathway for her return is through the official bilateral extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh.

Awami League politician Mohammad A. Arafat pushed back against the prosecutor’s statements, urging the interim government to test her resolve directly. Arafat called on authorities in Dhaka to issue Hasina a travel pass first and then see if her return plan was a bluff. Weighing in on the document dispute, former Indian envoy to Bangladesh Veena Sikri described Dhaka’s refusal as rigid and unreasonable. Sikri stated that whether Hasina is formally extradited or returns voluntarily, she still requires a valid travel document from Bangladeshi authorities to re-enter the country legally.

Diplomatic Dilemma and Court Verdict

The International Crimes Tribunal’s capital punishment ruling against Hasina was its first verdict concerning the violent clashes during last year’s anti-government demonstrations. The tribunal found the 79-year-old former prime minister guilty of offenses tied to the lethal political crackdown during the 2024 uprising. The prosecutor’s insistence on carrying out the death penalty has heightened tensions between New Delhi and Dhaka.

While Bangladeshi prosecutors maintain that Hasina must face execution upon arrival, the Indian government has refused to comment on the prosecutor’s statements. The ongoing standoff leaves India in a delicate diplomatic position as it manages bilateral ties with its neighbor while sheltering the ousted Bangladeshi leader. With Dhaka ruling out a new passport, any further movement on Sheikh Hasina’s planned December return now rests entirely on whether Bangladesh submits a formal extradition request to New Delhi.