Hasina's Passport and NID Request May Be Political Strategy, Says Former US Diplomat

A request seeking new passports and national identity cards (NIDs) for ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reportedly sent to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi by London-based law firm Matrix Chambers, may have a political motive, according to John F. Danilovich, a former US diplomat who served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Bangladesh.

In a post on social media platform X on Monday, Danilovich suggested that Hasina's application for a new passport and NID could be a political strategy aimed at putting the current Bangladesh government on the defensive.

He further wrote that the move could be intended to send an international message that Hasina wants to return to Bangladesh but is being prevented from doing so by the government.

Danilovich also suggested that the initiative might offer the country currently providing shelter to Hasina a way out of the diplomatic complications surrounding her presence. He speculated that a third country could potentially be involved in efforts to persuade another nation to accept her.

In a separate post on Tuesday, the former diplomat said there was no possibility of Hasina returning to Bangladesh in December.

Describing the developments as a "hoax," he said the apparent objective was to mobilize her supporters and divert attention from growing perceptions of her diminishing political relevance in Bangladesh.

Earlier on Monday, Reuters reported that Sheikh Hasina had applied for a new passport and national identity card.

The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi has already formally informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka about the email received from Matrix Chambers.

Responding to Hasina's reported application, Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir made it clear that the government would not issue a passport or NID to any terrorist.

He also stated that Bangladesh intends to bring Hasina back from India under the existing extradition treaty between the two countries so that she can serve her sentence.