Time Running Out For Sheikh Hasina In India After Bangladesh Revokes Her Diplomatic Passport?

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has spent nearly three weeks in India following her ouster amid a student-led uprising against her government.

Speculation is growing about her next move, especially after Bangladesh's interim government revoked her diplomatic passport, potentially limiting her stay in India.

Photo Credit: PTI

The Security Services Division of Bangladesh's Home Affairs Ministry announced the immediate revocation of diplomatic passports belonging to Sheikh Hasina, her advisors, former cabinet members, and all members of the recently dissolved 12th Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament), along with their spouses.

This decision came after the dissolution of Parliament by President Mohammed Shahabuddin in August, following Hasina's forced resignation and departure from the country.

The revocation also affects diplomatic officials whose tenures have ended, with the possibility of issuing ordinary passports only after clearance from at least two investigating agencies.

Hasina, according to government sources, holds no other passport besides the now-revoked diplomatic one, as reported by The Daily Star newspaper.

Under Indian visa policy, Bangladeshi citizens with diplomatic or official passports are eligible for visa-free entry and can stay in the country for up to 45 days. As of Saturday, Hasina has already spent 20 days in India, with the clock ticking on her legal stay.

The cancellation of her diplomatic passport and its associated visa privileges could expose her to the risk of extradition to Bangladesh, where she faces 51 cases, including 42 for murder.

Extradition would be governed by the 2013 extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India, amended in 2016.

While the treaty allows refusal of extradition if the charges are political, it explicitly excludes crimes such as murder from being considered political.

However, one ground for refusal of extradition is if the charges have not been "made in good faith, in the interest of justice," according to the state-run BSS news agency.

(With PTI inputs)