Sheikh Hasina faces renewed uncertainty over her return to Bangladesh as the International Crimes Tribunal chief prosecutor insists her death sentence must be executed. Dhaka reportedly favours extradition from India amid disputes over her passport and national identity card applications.
The prospect of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returning home from India has triggered fresh political and legal controversy, with Dhaka maintaining that her return should take place through an extradition process. The uncertainty has intensified after Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Md Shahriar Alam reportedly stated that there would be no alternative to executing the death sentence imposed on Hasina if she returned to the country.
Hasina has been living in India since August 2024, following her departure from Bangladesh amid widespread anti-government protests. Her possible return has once again brought attention to the legal proceedings against her, the political situation in Bangladesh and questions surrounding her personal safety and the future of her associates.
According to a report published by Dhaka-based Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo on Tuesday, ICT Chief Prosecutor Md Shahriar Alam made the statement a day after a request was reportedly submitted to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi seeking travel and identity documents for the former prime minister.
The request was reportedly made through a London-based legal firm, which sought the issuance of a new Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card for Hasina after the cancellation of her existing documents. The lawyers argued that she continues to hold Bangladeshi nationality and that the relevant legal obligations under domestic and international law support her application.
Reports suggest that the application was connected to Hasina’s stated intention to return to Bangladesh and face the legal proceedings against her. However, the request has reportedly faced scrutiny from authorities in Dhaka, particularly over whether the legal representatives had provided sufficient authorisation to act on her behalf.
According to separate reports, officials questioned the authenticity of the authorisation, noting that the email correspondence reportedly did not include documentary evidence establishing that the law firm had been formally authorised by Hasina. The Bangladesh High Commission is understood to have forwarded the correspondence to Dhaka for further examination.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s position on Hasina’s return appears to favour extradition rather than the voluntary travel-document route pursued by her legal representatives.
Quoting Prime Minister Tariq Rahman’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman, The Business Standard reported that the government intends to bring Hasina back from India through the extradition process. The adviser reportedly maintained that there were no significant legal complications in securing her return under the existing extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh.
Zahed also explained that legal complications could emerge if the person facing extradition approached a court to challenge the process. However, he reportedly considered such a situation unlikely if Hasina herself wished to return to Bangladesh.
Regarding reports that Hasina had applied for a passport and National Identity Card, the adviser said she had not personally submitted any application. Instead, he claimed that the press minister at the Bangladesh High Commission had received a letter from a law firm requesting arrangements for issuing a passport to the former prime minister.
The distinction between a request submitted through legal representatives and a personally authorised application has therefore become another point of contention in the unfolding developments.
The developments come amid a broader series of legal proceedings in Bangladesh linked to the July 2024 student-led movement and the subsequent political upheaval. On Tuesday, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman informed Parliament that a total of 1,883 cases had been filed across the country since the protests, including 805 murder cases.
According to a report by The Daily Star, the minister further stated that 79 cases had been filed or registered with the International Crimes Tribunal against individuals accused of attacking participants in the July 2024 student movement.
Of these cases, eight had been finally disposed of through full verdicts, with 73 defendants receiving sentences. Among those convicted, 24 people, including Sheikh Hasina, had been sentenced to death, while the remaining 49 had received different prison terms, including life imprisonment.
The figures underline the scale of the legal proceedings that have emerged following the protests. The cases have become a significant part of Bangladesh’s political and judicial landscape, particularly as the country continues to navigate the consequences of the change in government.
The International Crimes Tribunal was established in Bangladesh to prosecute serious offences, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. In recent years, it has regained prominence through proceedings involving Sheikh Hasina and several former government officials over allegations connected to the authorities’ response to the 2024 anti-government demonstrations.
The tribunal’s proceedings have attracted considerable domestic and international attention, particularly over questions of accountability, judicial independence, due process and the wider implications for Bangladesh’s democratic institutions.
Hasina’s potential return has therefore become more than an administrative matter concerning the issuance of travel documents. It involves complex legal questions surrounding her citizenship, the validity of her representatives’ application, the extradition agreement between India and Bangladesh and the consequences of the existing judicial verdicts.
The reported position of the Bangladeshi authorities also raises questions about the legal route that would apply if Hasina expressed a willingness to return voluntarily. While her legal representatives have reportedly sought the necessary documents to facilitate her return, Dhaka appears to be insisting that the extradition mechanism remains the appropriate route.
For India, the developments could also carry diplomatic significance because Hasina has been residing in the country since leaving Bangladesh in August 2024. Any extradition-related request would require consideration under the applicable bilateral treaty and relevant legal procedures.
At present, uncertainty continues over whether Hasina will be able to secure the requested travel and identity documents and whether her return will take place voluntarily or through formal extradition proceedings.
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The reported warning from the ICT Chief Prosecutor has further intensified concerns surrounding her possible return, particularly given the death sentence already imposed against her. The situation remains closely connected to Bangladesh’s ongoing political transition, its judicial proceedings and the future of relations between Dhaka and New Delhi.
With the passport application reportedly under scrutiny and the government maintaining its preference for extradition, Sheikh Hasina’s return to Bangladesh remains surrounded by substantial legal and political uncertainty.
