Awami League adamant on Hasina’s December return as government rejects passport-NID request

The government has rejected the request to issue a passport and national identity card to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina. But the Awami League remains adamant that she will return to the country in December. A new political debate has emerged over this, and several newspapers have made the same issue their main headline today. The Daily Times of Bangladesh carried the headline “AL STILL VOWS DECEMBER RETURN”, meaning the Awami League remains firm on Sheikh Hasina returning to the country in December.

The request, submitted to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi through the British law firm “Matrix Chambers” on Hasina’s behalf, has sparked a new political debate over her possible return. It has also created another area of tension in Bangladesh-India relations. This step is possibly being seen as part of a wider effort by the Awami League, aimed at turning Hasina’s return into a public and diplomatic issue in order to put political pressure on the BNP.

Despite the government’s position, several Awami League leaders have said preparations are under way for Hasina to return in December. They claim party leaders and workers have been instructed to gather in Kolkata by November, so they can take part in planned programmes centred on her return. According to Awami League leaders, if Dhaka does not respond to the request, the law firm will send a follow-up notice. They also said that if the government gives no response, Hasina may try to enter the country through the Benapole border.

Manab Zamin’s headline was “Hasina’s passport application in Delhi is not Dhaka’s”. The report says a letter was sent to the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi requesting it to issue a passport and national identity card (NID) on behalf of the ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The request was sent by email yesterday. The letter was sent by the London-based law firm Matrix Chambers. It is claimed that the letter is from Sheikh Hasina. But the Bangladesh High Commission itself has expressed doubt over this.

A diplomatic source in Delhi said a letter had reached them from Matrix Chambers, requesting the issuance of a passport and NID for the fugitive Sheikh Hasina. But it could not be confirmed that the letter was from Hasina, because there was no proof of Hasina’s authorisation in the letter. The letter was sent yesterday to the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka. The Reuters news agency first reported the letter. Naya Diganta’s headline was “Smoke over Hasina’s passport-NID application”. The report says an email requesting the issuance of a passport and NID in her name was sent by a UK-based law firm. No authorisation from Sheikh Hasina, nor any power of attorney for the lawyers to act on her behalf, was attached to that email.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir has directly rejected the matter of giving a passport and NID. Speaking to journalists yesterday, he said no passport will be given to the fugitive Sheikh Hasina. At the same time, he reiterated the call to India to hand Sheikh Hasina over under the extradition treaty. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed also mentioned bringing Sheikh Hasina back under the extradition treaty. He said the Foreign and Law ministries are examining the authenticity of the application, its legal basis, and whether there is a right to apply at all.

Meanwhile, Md Aminul Islam, chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, has said a formal explanation will be given today, Tuesday, on the legal position regarding Sheikh Hasina’s return to the country and her passport and NID. Altogether, the matter is now linked to three separate questions — whether Sheikh Hasina actually applied in person, how legally acceptable the request sent in her name is, and what kind of legal process must be followed for the return and surrender of a person sentenced to death.

Ajker Patrika’s headline was “Rising heat, fear of conflict”. The report says buses have been set on fire in the capital and surrounding areas and in various parts of the country for several days. Cocktail explosions are happening from time to time. Meanwhile came the news that the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is in India, has applied for a new passport and national identity card to return to the country. The rumour of her return in December, and the arson and cocktail incidents before it, have created a sense of heat in politics. In this situation, political analysts are advising the government to take effective steps in time. They fear that the opposing positions of the political parties on the issue could push the situation towards conflict.

After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, no major conflict situation has emerged in the country’s political arena. After the 13th national parliamentary election last February, differences between the government and the opposition remained largely limited to statements, parliamentary debates and peaceful programmes, although the opposition has recently intensified its programmes on the reform issue and raised its voice to the level of threats in pressing its demands.

Kaler Kantho’s headline was “New political calculations around December: cautious government, BNP will be on the streets”. The report says a new equation is forming in Bangladesh politics around December. In the month of victory, the ruling BNP is taking a cautious position, alongside running the government, to maintain political stability and deal with possible unrest. The party has also taken initiatives for organisational rebuilding, activating grassroots workers, and reducing distance with long-time political allies. At the same time, opposition parties including Jamaat and the National Citizen Party (NCP) are preparing to stay active on the streets with various demands, including implementation of the July National Charter. Altogether, the centre of December politics is the announcement of the return of ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the future political position of the banned Awami League, implementation of the July National Charter, local government elections, and reconciliation initiatives with political allies.

Jugantor’s headline was “Despite divisions, united in stopping Hasina”. The report says the BNP has differences with Jamaat-e-Islami and the NCP (National Citizen Party) on many issues, including constitutional amendments. But all three parties, in power and outside it, do not want the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, ousted in the mass uprising, to return to the country. As a result, despite their mutually hostile positions, all three parties are keeping an eye on Hasina’s announced December-centred activities. They will announce programmes if needed. However, from talking to these anti-fascist parties, it is learnt that so far they do not believe, from the activities of the banned Awami League, that Hasina will return in December. So although they speak about Hasina in statements, they have not yet thought of taking any step to stop her return. But if the situation worsens before December, they will think of taking steps or programmes.

Responsible BNP leaders are giving the most importance to countering the “terrorist activities of the fascist Awami League”. Several BNP leaders told Kaler Kantho that the opposition must have a political role. But if they shelter fascism, that will never be acceptable. The nation will not accept it. The party’s leaders have a clear position — if Hasina returns to the country, she will be tried under existing law.

State Minister for Religious Affairs Mohammad Shameem Kaiser prayed to Allah to resist any attempt to bring back the fascist force expelled from the country. He said: “O Lord of the Worlds, You have given us the ability to expel the fascist.”

The same newspaper review also included Prothom Alo’s headline “Bhola’s gas will come out through pipeline”. The report says the last two governments have taken various plans at different times to use Bhola’s unused gas. This time, the government has decided to bring Bhola’s gas out of the district through a pipeline. The pipeline will go from Bhola through Barishal to Khulna and join the national gas transmission line. This will increase gas supply in the country. Sources in the Energy and Mineral Resources Division say the Energy Division met the Prime Minister yesterday, Monday, on Bhola’s gas reserves, demand, production and the possibility of getting gas in the future. Considering everyone’s views, the Prime Minister gave consent in that meeting to build the pipeline.

The Daily Star’s headline was “Bangladesh in debt for others’ climate crimes”, meaning Bangladesh is burdened with debt because of others’ climate crimes. The report says that a decade after the Paris Agreement promised support to climate-vulnerable countries, Bangladesh is becoming increasingly burdened with debt. The reason is that most of the financing needed for the transition to renewable energy is being taken as loans instead of grants. According to a study published last week by the Dhaka-based think tank “Change Initiative” (CI), more than 90 percent of the climate finance Bangladesh received in the energy sector between 2002 and 2023 came as loans.

As December draws nearer, discussion and rumours about Hasina are growing in the political arena. But the BNP is unwilling to give the issue importance. Now all eyes are on the formal explanation today from the chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, and on which way politics moves around the announcement of Hasina’s return in December.