India on Tuesday declined to comment on former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's request for a fresh passport and national identity card, saying the matter should be addressed by the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, even as it acknowledged that international travel requires appropriate documentation.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) maintained that Bangladesh's demand for Hasina's extradition remained a legal matter and would be handled through established procedures.
The remarks came a day after Hasina, who has been living in India since her government was overthrown in August 2024, approached Bangladeshi authorities through her legal representatives seeking documents to facilitate her proposed return home in December.
Addressing a regular media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Bangladesh High Commission was better placed to respond to questions about the former prime minister's application.
"The question that you asked is essentially a question that you must pose to the Bangladesh high commission. This is a matter which they would be in a better position to convey to you, what is the sense they have on this particular issue," Jaiswal said.
๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐
Asked whether Hasina could be extradited to Bangladesh without possessing a valid passport, Jaiswal said international travel ordinarily required a travel document but described the issue as technical.
"Obviously, for the travel of people, you need a travel document. That is what I understand, but it is a technical matter," he said.
On Dhaka's repeated demand for Hasina's extradition, the spokesperson reiterated India's position that the issue would be addressed in accordance with legal procedures.
He did not indicate whether New Delhi had taken a decision on Bangladesh's extradition request or whether discussions were underway concerning the former prime minister's proposed return.
India has previously maintained that the extradition issue must be examined through the relevant legal and judicial processes.
๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ต ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐
Hasina's London-based lawyers approached the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Monday, seeking a new passport and national identity card.
The request followed the revocation of her existing travel documents by Bangladeshi authorities after she fled the country during the student-led uprising in August 2024.
Her lawyers reportedly argued that Hasina, as a Bangladeshi national, was entitled to seek the necessary documentation under domestic law and applicable international human rights obligations.
The application was submitted ahead of her stated intention to return to Bangladesh in December.
The former prime minister has indicated in recent interviews that she intends to return despite facing the possibility of arrest and legal proceedings.
Possession of a valid passport could allow her greater control over the arrangements for her return, although the Bangladesh government has insisted that she should be brought back through the bilateral extradition mechanism.
๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐น๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ต ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐
Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir rejected Hasina's request on Monday and reiterated that Dhaka wanted India to extradite her under the existing bilateral treaty.
He argued that the former prime minister should return through the extradition process rather than seek fresh travel documents.
Bangladesh has repeatedly sought Hasina's return since she fled to India following the collapse of her government.
The former prime minister was sentenced to death in absentia by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal in 2025 after being convicted of crimes against humanity in connection with the crackdown on student-led demonstrations in 2024.
The protests, which eventually forced her from office, left hundreds of people dead and thousands injured.
Hasina has denied wrongdoing, rejected the tribunal's verdict and questioned the legitimacy of the proceedings against her.
Her Awami League party has also faced restrictions in Bangladesh, with its activities banned following the political upheaval.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
Hasina's continued presence in India has emerged as a contentious issue in relations between New Delhi and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Bangladeshi authorities have pressed India to facilitate her extradition and have also raised concerns about her political statements while residing on Indian soil.
The latest dispute over travel documents has added another dimension to the disagreement between the two countries.
While Hasina is seeking documentation to enable her voluntary return, Dhaka maintains that her return should take place through extradition.
India, meanwhile, has avoided commenting on the merits of her passport application and has continued to treat the extradition demand as a legal issue.
With Hasina indicating that she intends to return next month, questions surrounding her travel documents, legal status and the circumstances of her possible arrival in Bangladesh remain unresolved.