India Says Sheikh Hasina Needs Travel Document to Return

India has said former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would require a valid travel document to return to Bangladesh, days after Dhaka ruled out issuing her a new passport. The clarification came on Tuesday, November 10, amid renewed demands for her extradition and reports that she intends to return home in December.

India Clarifies Position on Sheikh Hasina Extradition

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Hasina’s extradition was a legal matter that would be handled through established procedures.

Responding to questions about whether extradition was possible without a passport, Jaiswal explained that international travel required appropriate documentation, describing the matter as a technical issue.

Officials indicated that a Bangladeshi passport or an emergency certificate establishing her citizenship could facilitate her return.

India has not announced a decision on Bangladesh’s extradition request.

Bangladesh Refuses Passport for Sheikh Hasina

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Humaiun Kobir, rejected the possibility of issuing Hasina a new passport, insisting that she should return through the bilateral extradition treaty signed in 2013.

The controversy followed a request from London-based law firm Matrix Chambers to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi seeking a passport and national identity card.

Bangladeshi officials questioned whether the firm had provided sufficient authorisation to submit the request on Hasina’s behalf.

Sheikh Hasina Faces Death Sentence in Bangladesh

Hasina has remained in India since fleeing Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, following widespread anti-government protests.

In November 2025, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia for crimes against humanity linked to the crackdown on protesters.

Hasina denies wrongdoing and disputes the legitimacy of the proceedings.

She has expressed her intention to return in December, although the legal arrangements remain unresolved.