Would we issue Sheikh Hasina a passport to visit her in-laws: Foreign Affairs State Minister

Foreign Affairs State Minister Humayun Kabir has described the suggestion that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina could be issued a passport or travel pass as “ridiculous”. He said Hasina was a fugitive accused of terrorism and should be handed over to Bangladesh under the extradition arrangement rather than being allowed to return through normal travel procedures.

He made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists after seeing off Liu Haixing, minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport following his visit to Dhaka.

Hasina, who was sentenced to death in a crimes against humanity case linked to the July uprising, is currently in Delhi. Asked whether she would be issued a passport or travel pass, Humayun Kabir said Bangladesh had an extradition treaty with India and would seek her handover under that agreement.

“Is she coming to visit her in-laws in Rangpur that I should give her a passport? And what would she do with a passport? Sheikh Hasina is a fugitive accused of terrorism. She is an autocrat, a terrorist who fled after thousands of people were killed here. Should we treat her as an ordinary commercial traveller and issue her a passport? Let her come and visit her in-laws in Rangpur. We have an active extradition treaty for the handover of terrorists and criminals. You do not need a passport to apprehend terrorists and criminals; they are handed over,” he said.

Journalists also asked whether Hasina, president of the activities-banned Awami League, who has announced plans to return to Bangladesh in December, had applied for a passport or travel pass.

In response, Humayun Kabir said he had returned to Bangladesh on Thursday after attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda and was therefore not yet aware of whether any such application had been made. However, he said the very suggestion of issuing her a passport or travel pass struck him as “ridiculous”.

The state minister added that an arrest warrant and legal proceedings were already in place in connection with Hasina’s extradition. There was therefore no need to issue her a passport or a travel pass to facilitate her return. The extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India provides for the handover of individuals accused or convicted of crimes, he said.

On 17 November last year, Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal were sentenced to death in a crimes against humanity case relating to the July 2024 uprising. They are also facing trials in several other cases.

According to a United Nations report, around 1,400 people were killed during the uprising. Hasina has consistently denied ordering the killings, while her lawyers have questioned the reported death toll.

Relations between Bangladesh and India have deteriorated since India granted Hasina refuge. Dhaka has sent several letters seeking her return under the extradition treaty between the two countries, but New Delhi has yet to respond. India has said it is examining the matter through its legal processes.

In an interview with Reuters in July, Hasina said she planned to return to Bangladesh by December and surrender to the court.