Former PM Sheikh Hasina Seeks Passport to Return to Bangladesh

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has applied for a new passport and identification documents to leave her exile in India. She has lived outside the country for two years after being ousted by a wave of student protests in 2024.

Hasina stated her intention to surrender to a local court in December. The former leader was sentenced to death in absentia by a war crimes tribunal for the violent crackdown on protesters which resulted in approximately 1,400 deaths according to United Nations estimates.

The official request sent to the Bangladeshi government asks for expedited processing of the documents based on her nationality. She held office from 1996 to 2001 and returned to power between 2009 and 2024.

Hasina's potential return to the Bangladeshi political scene creates uncertainty regarding the internal stability of the nation of 127 million people. The current government is struggling to organize the economy after two years of disruptions caused by the political crisis.

Her return could alter diplomatic relations with India which have been strained since the former leader fled. This move comes as the country attempts to overcome the effects of protests that began over a quota system for public sector jobs.