Ousted Leader Plans to Return in December and Surrender to a Court
Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked on Monday, 9 November 2026, for a new passport and national identity card so she can return from exile in India. Reuters saw the letter, which is her first such communication since she fled in 2024. It is the clearest step yet towards her plan to return to Bangladesh in December. She faces a death sentence there, which she denies and calls unjust.
Background: From Ouster to Exile
Hasina ruled Bangladesh for 20 years across several terms as prime minister. She left the country in August 2024, after a student-led uprising ended her government. Al Jazeera reported that security forces killed hundreds of people during the protests, on her orders. Hasina has denied the charges.
Bangladesh’s war-crimes court sentenced her to death in absentia in November 2025 for ordering a deadly crackdown on the uprising. Dhaka has asked India to hand her over under the 2013 extradition treaty, and India has not done so. Her party, the Awami League, has been banned. The country held an election in February 2026, and the BNP’s Tarique Rahman became prime minister on 17 February.
Details: The Passport Request
The Letter
Hasina’s lawyers at London-based Matrix Chambers wrote to Preeti Rahman, the acting high commissioner at Bangladesh’s embassy in Delhi. The letter noted the “reported revocation” of her Bangladeshi passport and national identity card by the interim government and other authorities. It asked officials to issue new documents and process the applications “expeditiously.”
The lawyers based the request on her Bangladeshi nationality and on obligations under international human rights instruments. Her aides said the date of her return would be announced once the formalities were complete.
Her Stated Plan
Hasina has told Reuters she plans to return and surrender before a court. Last week she told the Associated Press she was ready to come home even though she could face arrest, imprisonment or death. She is 78. A passport would give her the travel document she needs to cross the border legally.
What Officials and Observers Say
No Bangladeshi official had publicly responded to the letter at the time of the Reuters report. Reuters noted that a return could sharpen political divisions, because Hasina still has support among parts of the population. It also noted that the government in Dhaka is trying to restore stability after more than two years of upheaval.
Tarique Rahman has described Hasina’s presence in India as a sovereignty issue and has said his government would seek her return through diplomatic means. Senior BNP leaders have said they are willing to move relations with India “beyond Sheikh Hasina” if Delhi accepts the new reality in Dhaka.
Impact: Why the Sheikh Hasina Bangladesh Return Matters
For Bangladesh, a return would be a major test. A trial or arrest of a former leader who still has supporters could stir protests or counter-protests. Her party is banned, so the question of what role its members play will also come up.
For India, it could ease a long dispute. Relations soured after New Delhi gave her refuge, and Dhaka has linked high-level visits to her extradition. If she returns voluntarily, India would no longer face that demand, which could improve ties between the two countries.
Conclusion: What Comes Next
The key step is whether Bangladesh’s authorities issue the documents, and how they respond to the request. Her aides are expected to announce a date once formalities are done. Much will depend on the security arrangements, the court process and how both governments handle the return.
Until then, the plan remains an intention, and Dhaka has not said it will grant the request.
FAQs
Why did Sheikh Hasina leave Bangladesh?
Hasina left in August 2024 after a student-led uprising against her government turned deadly and ended her long rule. The protests began over job quotas and grew into a wider movement, with hundreds of people killed in the crackdown, according to Al Jazeera. She fled to India, where she has remained. She calls her exile self-imposed and denies the charges against her. An interim government under Muhammad Yunus then took charge until the February 2026 election.
What happened in Bangladesh with Sheikh Hasina?
After her ouster, Bangladesh’s interim government banned her Awami League party and brought legal cases against her. A war-crimes court sentenced her to death in her absence in November 2025 for ordering the crackdown on the uprising. She denies the charges. Bangladesh has also seized assets linked to her, and it has asked India to extradite her. A general election in February 2026 brought Tarique Rahman and the BNP to power. Hasina called that vote illegal.
Does Sheikh Hasina return to Bangladesh?
Not yet, but she says she plans to. She has told Reuters she wants to return in December and surrender before a court, and on 9 November her lawyers asked for a new passport and national identity card. Her aides said the date will be announced after the formalities are complete. Bangladeshi authorities have not confirmed that they will issue the documents or allow the return. Because she faces a death sentence, arrest on arrival is a possibility she has acknowledged.
Who is the most powerful man in Bangladesh?
That is a matter of judgment, but formally the head of government is Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He leads the BNP, which won 209 seats in the February 2026 election, and he was sworn in on 17 February by President Mohammed Shahabuddin, who is the head of state. Rahman also holds the defence portfolio, according to Wikipedia’s listing of his government. Before that, Muhammad Yunus led the interim government from August 2024. The influence of the military, parties and others is harder to measure, so I would not rank them.
