After Bangladesh ruled out a passport for Hasina, India says a “travel document” is needed.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. File. | Photo credit: Reuters

A day after Bangladesh’s acting foreign minister Humayun Kabir stressed that Dhaka would not issue ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s passport and insisted on her extradition from India as part of an “acceptable prisoner exchange”, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday (Nov 10, 2026) that an “international travel document” was required.

“The extradition of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a legal matter and will be dealt with accordingly,” ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in response to a question about Ms Hasina’s presence in India. He described the passport requirement as a “technical issue” and said: “Obviously you need a travel document for people to travel.

Officials said Ms Hasina could be issued with either a Bangladeshi passport or an emergency certificate proving she has Bangladeshi citizenship.

On Monday (Nov 9, 2026), Mr Kabir cited the extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh that was signed during the Hasina era in 2013, saying: “Bangladesh will not issue a passport to any terrorist; there is no provision for such action. Bangladesh will seek the return of Sheikh Hasina through an acceptable exchange process.”

An official dealing with the matter told The Hindu on Monday (Nov 9, 2026) that a passport is required for issuance. The ousted prime minister applied for a new passport and national identity document through a London-based law firm that wrote to the Bangladeshi government.

Bangladesh has a history of leaders going into exile or being imprisoned for long periods upon their return. Current Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was in exile for nearly 17 years before returning from the United Kingdom on 25 December 2025.

On August 5, 2026, Mrs. Hasina announced in a virtual press conference that she would return to Bangladesh in December of that year.

In recent days, the law and order situation in Bangladesh has worsened and incidents of violence, looting and arson have been reported. On Tuesday (November 10, 2026), Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Civic Party, which are in opposition, accused the government of failing to maintain law and order.

Opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman said the interior ministry there had failed to handle the situation. “Even the army golf club has now witnessed cocktail blasts. Similar incidents have taken place in front of the Special Branch headquarters, at the gates of the police station and at Dhaka University, where blasts have been taking place for three consecutive days. Two people have been injured there,” he said.

Published – 10 Nov 2026 22:01 IST