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Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is living in India, has applied to the Delhi-based Bangladesh High Commission for a new passport and National Identity Card (NID) to return to the country.
This information has been confirmed by many leaders of the banned Awami League in Bangladesh. BBC Bangla also has a copy of this application.
Awami League leaders told BBC Bangla that Sheikh Hasina has made this application through London law firm Matrix Chambers.
On Monday morning, news agency Reuters also reported about Sheikh Hasina's application.
What did Bangladesh High Commission tell?
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Saidur Rahman, press minister of the Delhi-based Bangladesh High Commission, told BBC Bangla, "We have received an email from an organization called Matrix Chambers. In that email, an application has been made to give the passport and NID of Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. We do not know whether this application is genuine or not. However, we have sent this email to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
Sheikh Hasina has been living here for more than two years after leaving Bangladesh and coming to India on August 5, 2024.
A few months ago he had announced his return to Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina and her party leaders and workers are saying that she will return to the country in December.
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SM Kamal, organization secretary of the banned Awami League, told BBC Bangla that Sheikh Hasina wants to return to the country in December. He also came to know through the media that Sheikh Hasina has applied for a passport.
News agency Reuters said in a report on Monday morning, "This is Hasina's clearest step yet towards implementing her plan to return to Bangladesh after her long rule ended in a popular uprising more than two years ago."
What has the lawyer written in the passport application?
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After leaving power on August 5, 2024 and coming to Delhi, at the end of August the same year, the then interim government of Bangladesh had decided to cancel Sheikh Hasina's diplomatic and ordinary passports.
Later, passports of many big leaders of Awami League were also cancelled.
This year, after the announcement of Sheikh Hasina's return to Bangladesh, the issue of her passport came to the fore. The reason for this is that he no longer has a valid passport.
In this sequence, Sheikh Hasina's lawyers have written a letter to Preeti Rehman, Acting High Commissioner of Bangladesh High Commission, Delhi, requesting to issue a new passport and national identity card.
Lawyers from London law firm Matrix Chambers have written in the letter that they have received news that the interim government and other officials have canceled Sheikh Hasina's old Bangladeshi passport and national identity card.
"In view of the news of cancellation of our client's old Bangladeshi passport and national identity card, we request that necessary steps be taken to issue him a new Bangladeshi passport and national identity card," the letter said.
Citing Sheikh Hasina's Bangladeshi citizenship and responsibilities under international human rights agreements and treaties, her lawyers have requested for an early decision on these applications.
Till November 19 last year, 663 cases were registered against Sheikh Hasina on charges of murders and crimes against humanity during the protest of students and common people in July 2024. Of these, there are 453 murder cases.
During the previous interim government, he was also sentenced to death in a case of crimes against humanity.
What does the Bangladesh government say?
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Meanwhile, many Awami League leaders and workers living abroad are saying that efforts have intensified for Sheikh Hasina's return to Bangladesh in December.
For the last few months, leaders and workers of the banned Awami League have also been seen taking out small rallies in different areas of Bangladesh demanding the return of Sheikh Hasina.
But her political opponents doubt whether she will really return to Bangladesh despite the bad political situation and the death penalty decision.
The question is whether Sheikh Hasina will really try to return to Bangladesh in the coming December? And will the Bangladesh government allow them to return to the country at that time?
After the interim government of Bangladesh, now the BNP government has also written formal letters to India several times to send back Sheikh Hasina. That means Bangladesh government wants to bring them back.
Amidst the discussion of his return, the issue of his passport has also been in discussion for the last few days.
During a press briefing in Dhaka last Thursday, Humayun Kabir, the BNP government's minister of state for foreign affairs, told reporters: "Will Sheikh Hasina come to visit her in-laws, who will have to surrender her passport?"
He also said that there is an extradition treaty between the two countries to arrest 'terrorists and criminals'. Passport is not required to bring back 'terrorists or criminals'. It's a matter of handing it over to them.
He further said that efforts will be made to bring back Sheikh Hasina from India under the existing extradition treaty between the two countries.
Kabir said that Bangladesh is demanding the formal handover of Sheikh Hasina from the Indian government through judicial and diplomatic channels prescribed under the treaty.
Does Hasina really want to return?
Sheikh Hasina herself has announced several times that she will return to Bangladesh only in December. However, he also mentioned the death penalty, poor political situation and security threats.
Analysts believe that after his announcement, the Awami League leaders and workers who fled Bangladesh have become somewhat excited. There have also been reports of the party suddenly taking out small rallies at many places including Dhaka.
Along with this, the number of arrests is also increasing. Leaders of many parties including BNP are giving statements on this issue. He says that big leaders of Awami League including Sheikh Hasina are hiding in India and other countries. But by announcing the return of Sheikh Hasina, he has put the party workers living in Bangladesh in danger.
However, an Awami League leader living in India told BBC that their leader is now around 80 years old. At this age she will not be able to do active politics for long. Therefore, she now wants to take any risk to return to the country's politics.
Mohammad Ali Arafat, one of the key spokespersons of the Awami League living abroad, told BBC Bangla, "Despite the danger, Sheikh Hasina will return to Bangladesh in December. Our leader is firm on her decision."
He also claimed that for this purpose the party's organization has been strengthened afresh in the entire country.
Arafat believes that it will be very difficult for the BNP government to bring back Sheikh Hasina under the extradition treaty. He says that Sheikh Hasina will return to Bangladesh as per her announcement.
Published by Collective Newsroom for the BBC.
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