Hasina sought new documents after fleeing to India and has promised to return in December. Bangladesh says it will pursue her handover under its extradition arrangements with India.
Bangladesh has rejected former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s passport request, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said. Bangladesh police used tear gas and rubber bullets on 10 November to disperse supporters demanding her return from India. In Faridpur, 1 passenger-bus driver died from smoke inhalation after people set his vehicle on fire, the BBC said. It did not identify who set the bus alight.
The nationwide protests followed Hasina’s request for a new passport. She fled to India in August 2024 after a mass uprising forced her from power.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir confirmed to Al Jazeera that Bangladesh had rejected the passport request. The refusal concerns the document; separately, Kobir said Bangladesh would pursue Hasina’s handover under its extradition arrangements with India.
Protesters tried to block roads with burning tires, disrupting traffic in parts of Bangladesh. About 200 protesters briefly blocked traffic on the Padma bridge, which connects Dhaka with the country’s southwest.
The demonstrations involved Bangladesh Chhatra League, the banned student wing of Hasina’s Awami League party. A police vehicle was set on fire in Gopalganj district, where members clashed with security forces.
A senior student-wing leader living abroad denied that its supporters were responsible for the violent incidents, blamed unidentified perpetrators and said the group supported peaceful protests.
Hasina sought a new passport and national identity card through Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi after her existing documents were revoked. She has promised to return in December 2026.
Proposition 40 would have imposed a one-time 5% tax on billionaires’ wealth, with most proceeds intended to offset federal healthcare funding cuts and a smaller share for education and food assistance.
In November 2025, a Bangladeshi court convicted Hasina and sentenced her to death in her absence for crimes against humanity over the deadly crackdown on student-led protests in 2024. She denies the charge.
On 9 November, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said authorities were reviewing the application’s legal basis, whether it followed due process and whether Hasina had the right to apply. Bangladesh has repeatedly sought her extradition, and India says it is examining the requests.
Hasina told Reuters she intended to surrender before a court in Bangladesh. Her aides said a return date would be announced once formalities were completed.
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