Bangladesh Prosecutor Says Sheikh Hasina Faces Execution if She Returns, as Former PM Seeks Passport
Bangladesh Prosecutor Says Sheikh Hasina Faces Execution if She Returns, as Former PM Seeks Passport
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Bangladesh’s chief prosecutor has warned that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina could face execution if she returns to the country, saying she has exhausted her legal right to appeal her death sentence. The warning comes as Hasina seeks new travel documents to facilitate her planned return from India in December 2026.
According to reports published on November 10 by Reuters, Anadolu Agency and Bangladeshi media, Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam of the International Crimes Tribunal said Hasina had missed the 30-day deadline to appeal her conviction for crimes against humanity. He argued that there was no legal basis for issuing her a new passport or travel document under Bangladesh’s passport regulations.
Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia on November 17, 2025, by the International Crimes Tribunal over her role in the deadly crackdown on the 2024 student-led uprising that led to her removal from power. She has rejected the charges and the legitimacy of the proceedings.
In a separate development, Reuters reported on November 9 that Hasina’s London-based lawyers had requested a new Bangladeshi passport and national identity card through the country’s diplomatic mission in New Delhi. The Bangladeshi government rejected the request and called for her extradition from India under the bilateral treaty. Hasina has said she intends to return in December and surrender before a court.
