‘Is she coming to visit her in-laws?’ Humaiun mocks passport idea for Hasina

Foreign Affairs State Minister Humaiun Kobir has ridiculed the idea of issuing ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina a passport or travel pass to return from India, insisting that Bangladesh wants her handed over under its extradition treaty with New Delhi.

Asked on Thursday whether Hasina had applied for travel documents, Humaiun said he did not know, having returned from a Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda.

“Is she coming to visit her in-laws in Rangpur that we should give her a passport?” he said, describing her as a “fugitive terrorist”.

Humaiun spoke at the airport after seeing off Liu Haixing, a Chinese Communist Party official.

Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal last November over allegations that she ordered a crackdown on the 2024 student-led uprising.

A UN report estimated about 1,400 deaths. Hasina denies ordering killings, while her lawyers question the toll.

In India, she has told Reuters she plans to return in December and surrender to a court.

Her presence in India has strained relations between Dhaka and New Delhi. Bangladesh has sought her return under their extradition treaty, but India has not responded, citing a review.

Humaiun said arrest warrants and legal procedures were in place, making travel documents unnecessary.

“Passports are not needed to apprehend terrorists and criminals; they are handed over,” he said.

“We want her handed over. She is a terrorist and a fugitive criminal,” he added, saying the treaty allows extradition of criminals and terrorists.