Ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday sought the issuance of a new Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card (NID) to facilitate her return from self-imposed exile in India, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
The request marks her first known direct communication of this kind since leaving the country in 2024.
The move is seen as the clearest indication yet that Hasina is preparing to return to Bangladesh in December, more than two years after a mass uprising brought an end to her lengthy rule. Her return could trigger renewed political and legal tensions, particularly as her Awami League is now an activity-banned organisation.
Hasina previously told Reuters that she intended to return and surrender before a court. Her aides said on Monday that the date of her return would be announced once the necessary formalities had been completed.
In November last year, Bangladesh’s war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia for ordering a crackdown on the student-led uprising. Hasina has rejected the allegations from exile.
In a letter addressed to Preeti Rahman, acting high commissioner at the Bangladesh mission in New Delhi, lawyers from London-based Matrix Chambers requested the issuance of a new passport and NID for Hasina.
They argued that her previous documents had reportedly been revoked by the interim government and other authorities.
The lawyers urged the authorities to process the applications expeditiously on the basis of Hasina’s Bangladeshi citizenship and in line with obligations under international human rights instruments.
Preeti Rahman and spokespeople for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Before its ban following Hasina’s fall from power, the Awami League was the country’s largest political party. Since then, many of its leaders and activists have either been imprisoned or gone into self-imposed exile in India and other countries.
Hasina served as Bangladesh’s prime minister for a total of 20 years across multiple terms and continues to retain support among sections of the population. Analysts say her return could deepen political divisions at a time when the government is seeking to restore stability after more than two years of turmoil.
At the same time, her return has the potential to ease strained relations between Bangladesh and India, which deteriorated after New Delhi granted her refuge.
