DHAKA, Nov 5: Bangladesh has ruled out issuing an ordinary passport or travel document to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to facilitate her return from India, insisting that New Delhi must hand her over under the existing extradition treaty between the two countries.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir made the remarks while speaking to reporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, where he was present to see off a Chinese delegation led by Liu Haixing, minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
Kobir maintained that a passport was unnecessary for securing the return of an individual facing serious criminal charges, arguing that the extradition agreement provided the appropriate legal mechanism.
He said Bangladesh was seeking Hasina’s formal transfer through established procedures rather than treating her return as an ordinary international journey.
Describing the former prime minister as a fugitive, Kobir questioned the need to issue her travel documents, reiterating that Dhaka wanted India to comply with its extradition request.
He also accused Hasina’s administration of being responsible for the deaths of thousands of people before her departure from Bangladesh and said her return should be pursued through legal and diplomatic channels.
Bangladesh has repeatedly approached India seeking Hasina’s extradition. However, New Delhi has not agreed to hand her over so far, maintaining that the matter is being examined under the applicable legal framework.
Hasina has been residing in India since August 2024, when she left Bangladesh following the collapse of her government amid widespread protests. She was subsequently sentenced to death over the deadly crackdown on demonstrators during her tenure.
Despite the verdict, the former prime minister has expressed her intention to return to Bangladesh in December.
Addressing the issue on October 3, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi said the extradition request was being processed through established legal channels. He, however, declined to indicate when a decision could be expected, citing the involvement of judicial procedures.
Trivedi said India’s Ministry of External Affairs had already clarified that the matter was undergoing examination through a structured legal process.
He also recalled that Hasina was still serving as Bangladesh’s prime minister when she arrived in India in August 2024, describing New Delhi’s response as that of a neighbouring country confronted with an unfolding political crisis.
Rejecting claims that the Indian Air Force or Army had transported Hasina to India, Trivedi said her arrival was the result of rapidly developing circumstances in Bangladesh.
He questioned what alternative India had at the time, suggesting that refusing her entry could have created an unpredictable situation. He also expressed hope that the violence and loss of innocent lives witnessed during the crisis would never be repeated.
The extradition issue was also discussed during a meeting between Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Trivedi in Dhaka in August. Following the meeting, India’s Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that the request was being considered in accordance with established procedures.