Ousted Sheikh Hasina Seeks Passport to Return; BNP Terms it a Stunt

Ousted PM Sheikh Hasina has requested travel documents to return to Bangladesh from India in December. The ruling BNP party has rejected the move, labeling it a political stunt and emphasizing that Hasina faces serious charges for her past rule.

Hasina Seeks Passport for Return

In Bangladesh, the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is residing in India, has asked for her passport and national ID card back, which the ruling BNP has described as a political stunt, saying that this kind of move misleads the public and aims to create instability in the country. They believe Sheikh Hasina won’t succeed in this attempt, noting that the people of Bangladesh ousted her through a mass uprising, that her time in politics is over, and that legal action will be taken against her.

"Sheikh Hasina is making these moves, such as asking for her passport, to create instability. These actions have been rejected by the people of Bangladesh; she carried out mass killings in Bangladesh and took refuge in India. There is already a national consensus in Bangladesh that Sheikh Hasina’s political role here has been rejected. She is accused of crimes against humanity, as well as abductions, murders, and other serious offences. Therefore, she has no chance of entering politics in Bangladesh anymore", Khsirul Kabir Khokon MP, Joint Secretary General of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), told ANI over the phone.

BNP Response and Political Context

"Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is an extremely popular political leader. He is running the country through a democratic process and has created a stable environment in the country, fighting against corruption and all those involved in it", he added.

"Unable to tolerate these positive changes, she is making political stunts and making baseless statements. She has no future in Bangladeshi politics—people have already rejected her. Politically, she is a dead horse," Khokon said.

Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has sought a new passport and national identity card (NID) from the Bangladesh Embassy in New Delhi to facilitate her planned return to the country in December. This marks her first such communication since fleeing to India in August 2024 following a deadly uprising that ended her 15-year rule.

According to Reuters, Hasina's lawyers at London-based Matrix Chambers submitted a letter on Monday to Preeti Rahman, acting high commissioner at Bangladesh's embassy in New Delhi, requesting that the necessary documents be issued to facilitate her return. The letter marks Hasina's first such communication since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024, signaling a step towards implementing her stated plan to return from exile. (ANI)

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