Ousted Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina has formally asked for a new Bangladeshi passport and national identity card, in the clearest sign yet that she intends to return from self-imposed exile in India in December.

Her lawyers at London-based Matrix Chambers wrote to Preeti Rahman, the acting high commissioner at Bangladesh's embassy in Delhi, asking for the documents to be issued. Reuters reported that it had seen the letter, described as her first such communication since she fled Bangladesh in 2024.

Return plan and court case

Hasina has told Reuters she plans to return to surrender before a court, and her aides said on Monday that the date would be announced once various formalities were completed. The letter asked for the applications to be processed expeditiously, citing her Bangladeshi nationality and obligations under international human rights instruments.

Her existing passport and national identity card were reported to have been revoked by the interim government and other authorities after she left office. An aide, Abu Obaidha Arin, described the request as a major milestone in her journey home, and said she remained determined to return by the end of the year.

Extradition dispute continues

Bangladesh's war-crimes court sentenced Hasina to death in her absence in November 2025 for ordering a deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising. She has denied the charges. Her Awami League party, once the country's largest, has been banned since her fall.

Dhaka has pressed India for her return under the bilateral extradition treaty, but New Delhi has not announced a decision. The Bangladeshi government did not immediately comment on the new passport request.