Sheikh Hasina’s reported bid to secure fresh travel documents has triggered a fresh standoff with Dhaka, which insists on bringing the former prime minister back through extradition…reports Asian Lite News Desk
A request for travel and identity documents to facilitate former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s return from exile has triggered fresh reactions in Dhaka, with a senior prosecutor warning that there is no alternative to executing her death sentence if she returns to the country.
The request was submitted to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi as Hasina seeks to return home after remaining in self-imposed exile since August 2024.
A day after the application, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Md Shahriar Alam said there was no alternative to carrying out the death sentence if Hasina returned, Dhaka-based Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo reported on Tuesday.
The remarks came amid fresh disclosures about the number of cases registered in Bangladesh following the July 2024 protests.
Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman told Parliament on Tuesday that 1,883 cases had been filed across the country since the protests, including 805 murder cases, The Daily Star reported.
The minister also said that 79 cases had so far been filed or registered with the International Crimes Tribunal against those accused of attacking participants in the July 2024 student movement.
Of these, eight cases had been concluded with full verdicts, resulting in sentences against 73 defendants. Among them, 24 people, including Hasina, had received death sentences, while 49 others had been handed various prison terms, including life imprisonment, the report said.
The International Crimes Tribunal is a Bangladeshi court established to prosecute serious crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The tribunal has gained renewed prominence through proceedings against Hasina and several former officials over allegations linked to the 2024 crackdown on anti-government protests.
Its proceedings have become a significant element of Bangladesh’s political transition, attracting international attention over their implications for justice, accountability and democratic stability.
Meanwhile, Dhaka appears determined to pursue Hasina’s return through an extradition process rather than facilitate her voluntary return through the issuance of fresh travel documents.
Quoting Prime Minister Tariq Rahman’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman, The Business Standardreported that the government intended to bring Hasina back from India through extradition, as it saw “no legal complications in securing her return under the existing treaty between the two countries”.
Zahed said legal complications could arise if the person facing extradition approached a court to challenge the process. However, he expressed the view that such a situation was unlikely if Hasina herself wanted to return to Bangladesh.
Responding to reports that Hasina had applied for a passport and National Identity Card, Zahed said she had not “personally submitted” any application.
He claimed that the High Commission’s press minister had received a letter from a law firm requesting arrangements for the issuance of a passport to the former prime minister.
The report did not clarify why the government did not consider the request submitted through Hasina’s legal representatives a formal application on her behalf.
The request, submitted through a London-based law firm, sought the issuance of a new Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card following the revocation of Hasina’s existing documents.
Her lawyers argued that the application was based on her continuing Bangladeshi nationality and the relevant legal obligations under domestic and international law. Reports indicated that the move was linked to Hasina’s stated intention to return to Bangladesh and face the legal process there.
However, separate reports suggested that officials had questioned whether the lawyers were properly authorised to represent her, pointing out that the email reportedly lacked documentary evidence of such authorisation.
The Bangladesh High Commission reportedly forwarded the correspondence to Dhaka for scrutiny.
