Passport not required to bring back Sheikh Hasina, says Bangladeshi Minister in stern statement

Amid efforts to bring former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina back from India, the Bangladeshi government has clarified that she will not be provided with any passport or travel documents. Humayun Kabir, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, stated in very stern terms that Sheikh Hasina will be brought back under the extradition treaty with India. He added that passports are not required to bring back terrorists and criminals, as the process of handover by another country is adopted instead.

According to reports, Humayun Kabir made this statement during a conversation with journalists at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on November 5. Minister Kabir had arrived to bid farewell to a delegation led by Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, when he was questioned regarding the return of Sheikh Hasina from India.

Humayun Kabir emphasised that an extradition treaty exists between Bangladesh and India, and the process to bring back Hasina will be undertaken based on this agreement. He said, "No passport is required to bring back any terrorist or criminal. This is a matter of handing them over." The Minister further clarified that a judicial warrant has been issued against Sheikh Hasina and the judicial process for her return is available; therefore, there is no need to provide her with a passport or travel documents as a normal traveller.

Levelling serious allegations against the former Prime Minister, the Minister stated that Hasina is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. He said that the Bangladeshi government cannot view her as an ordinary traveller. Humayun Kabir reiterated that since there is a judicial warrant, an established judicial process, and an extradition treaty, there is no requirement to issue a passport. He severely criticised the ousted former Prime Minister, alleging that she was responsible for thousands of deaths before fleeing the country.

Clarifying Dhaka's stance, Humayun Kabir stated that the Bangladesh government is formally demanding the handover of Hasina from Indian authorities through the judicial and diplomatic channels established under the treaty. The Bangladesh government is continuously demanding that India hand over Sheikh Hasina. It is noteworthy that following the massive student protests and political upheaval in Bangladesh in August 2024, Sheikh Hasina left the country and took refuge in India, where she has been residing since.

Meanwhile, the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh had sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death in 2025 in a case of crimes against humanity. However, Hasina has raised questions regarding the legality of the trial and the verdict delivered against her. Dhaka maintains that she should be returned as per the extradition treaty with India, but India has not yet taken any decision on handing her over in response to Bangladesh's demand.