Sheikh Hasina applied for a new passport this week, signaling her intent to end two years of self-imposed exile in India. Exiled members of her party describe the former prime minister as "confident" she will return by December. She has lived in Delhi since August 2024, when mass uprisings toppled her authoritarian government. A tribunal in Bangladesh later found her guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced her to death for the crackdown on a student uprising that left an estimated 1,400 people dead.
The Legal and Political Stakes
A British lawyer acting on behalf of Hasina wrote to the Bangladesh high commission requesting a new passport and national identity card "in a timely fashion." Aminul Islam, the chief prosecutor of the tribunal, stated there is "no legal scope" for issuing documents to a "convicted fugitive." He emphasized that the deadline for appealing the conviction has passed, meaning Hasina would face execution if she returns. The Bangladesh government labels her a "terrorist" and insists any return must occur under an "acceptable prisoner exchange" via the India-Bangladesh extradition treaty. Despite these hurdles, analysts believe her move aims to destabilize the newly-elected government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. They view her return as an attempt to revive support among Awami League cadres who remain underground despite the party’s ban.
Hasina rejected the charges of mass murder, claiming the tribunal was illegitimate. In an email to the Associated Press, she affirmed her decision with the words: "If death is my destiny, I would rather die on the soil of my own country, among my own people." Several senior party figures have already returned in recent months, including former MP Mustaque Ahmed Ruhi, who was arrested immediately upon his arrival in September. He now faces prosecution over an alleged murder committed during the 2024 uprising. Other leaders report they are prepared to follow suit, acknowledging they will be jailed but intending to fight politically. The Indian government, which maintained close ties with Hasina while she held power, has ignored Bangladesh’s demands for extradition, straining diplomatic relations between the two nations. This standoff leaves Hasina in a precarious position where her political ambition directly conflicts with the legal reality of her death sentence.
