Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has officially requested a new passport and national identity card, marking her most significant move toward ending her self-imposed exile in India. In a formal letter sent by her legal team at London-based Matrix Chambers to the Bangladeshi embassy in Delhi, she urged officials to process her application urgently. This request follows reports that the current interim government in Dhaka had revoked her previous documentation, setting the stage for a potential high-stakes return to her home country.

Hasina, who led Bangladesh for two decades, faces significant legal hurdles, including a death sentence handed down in absentia for her alleged role in suppressing the student-led uprisings that ended her rule. Despite being ousted and seeing her Awami League party banned, she has expressed intentions to return and surrender to the court. Her potential homecoming is expected to ignite further political friction within a nation still striving for stability, though it may also serve as a pivotal moment in recalibrating the strained diplomatic relationship between Dhaka and New Delhi.