HASINA’S PIPLOMATIC PASSPORT REVOKED AS BANGLADESH SHIFTS POWER

Fri 23 August 2024:

Bangladesh’s transitional government announced on Thursday the cancellation of diplomatic passports for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other top officials from her administration. This decision follows Hasina’s resignation and escape to India on August 5 after weeks of intense student-led protests.

The Home Ministry declared that Hasina, her former Cabinet members, advisers, and all members of the dissolved parliament must now apply for ordinary passports. However, their applications will only be processed after clearance from two security agencies. The move marks a significant shift in the status of these former officials, who have lost their diplomatic privileges.

Diplomatic Shake-Up: Security Agencies to Vet Passport Applications

Md Mashiur Rahman, senior secretary of the Security Services Division, confirmed that the Department of Immigration and Passports has been instructed to revoke the diplomatic passports, with an official order to be issued soon. As the former parliament has been dissolved, ministers and lawmakers are no longer entitled to diplomatic passports.

Extradition and Legal Troubles Loom for Hasina

Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain hinted that the government might seek India’s assistance in extraditing Hasina, who faces numerous legal charges, including murder and genocide. The unrest that led to her departure saw nearly 650 deaths, according to a UN report, further complicating her return to Bangladesh.

Under a memorandum of understanding between Bangladesh and India, diplomatic passport holders from both countries can stay visa-free for 45 days. The cancellation of Hasina’s diplomatic passport and potential extradition request could impact this arrangement and the broader diplomatic relations between the two nations.

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