New Delhi: A request to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi for travel and identity documents for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to return home from a self-imposed exile since August 2024 has reportedly invited severe reactions in Dhaka, where her safety and that of her colleagues appear to be under question.
A day after the application, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Md Shahriar Alam has said that there is no alternative to executing the death sentence if Sheikh Hasina returns home, reported Dhaka’s Bengali newspaper ‘Prothom Alo’ on Tuesday.
The same day (Tuesday), Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman told the Parliament that 1,883 cases have been filed across Bangladesh since the July 2024 protests, of which 805 are murder cases, according to a report by ‘The Daily Star’.
It said that the minister added that 79 cases had so far been filed or registered with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) against “those accused of attacking participants” in the July 2024 student movement, the report said.
Of these, eight cases have been finally disposed of through full verdicts, with 73 defendants sentenced, it said further, adding that among these, 24, including Hasina, have been sentenced to death, while 49 others have received various prison terms, including life imprisonment.
The ICT is a court established in Bangladesh to prosecute serious crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. In recent years, the tribunal has gained renewed prominence through proceedings against Sheikh Hasina and several former officials over allegations linked to the 2024 crackdown on anti-government protests.
The tribunal’s actions have become a central element in Bangladesh’s political transition and have attracted close international attention because of their implications for justice, accountability, and democratic stability.
Meanwhile, Dhaka appears to be intent only on an extradition process, dismissing the deposed premier’s request for travel documents to facilitate her voluntary return.
Quoting Prime Minister Tariq Rahman’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman, Bangladesh’s ‘The Business Standard’ reported that the government will bring Sheikh Hasina back from India through the extradition process, as it sees “no legal complications in securing her return under the existing treaty between the two countries”.
Zahed said legal complications could arise during an extradition process if the person concerned approached a court to challenge it, adding that he believes such a situation is unlikely if Hasina herself wants to return to Bangladesh.
Yet, regarding reports that Hasina had applied for a passport and national identity card, Zahed said she had not “personally submitted” any application so far, claiming that the High Commission’s press minister had received a letter from a law firm requesting arrangements to issue a passport to Hasina.
The report, however, did not explain why Dhaka does not see her legal firm moving the application as a legitimate request.
Incidentally, the request, submitted through a London-based legal firm, sought the issuance of a new Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card after the revocation of Hasina’s existing documents.
The lawyers argued that the application was based on her continuing Bangladeshi nationality and relevant legal obligations under Bangladeshi and international law. Reports indicate that the move is linked to Hasina’s stated intention to return to Bangladesh and face the legal process there.
Separate reports indicated that officials have questioned whether the lawyers were properly authorised to act on Hasina’s behalf, noting that the email reportedly lacked documentary proof of such authorisation.
The High Commission reportedly forwarded the correspondence to Dhaka for scrutiny, reports added.
(IANS)
