Bangladesh's former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, who has been residing in India for two years following her ousting, has requested a new passport and identity card, indicating her intent to return from self-imposed exile. The request comes as she plans to surrender before a court in Bangladesh in December. In 2024, Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by the war crimes court for ordering a deadly crackdown on student protests in 2013, resulting in an estimated 1,400 fatalities according to United Nations estimates. Her letter to the Bangladeshi government has been submitted, urging expedited processing based on her Bangladeshi nationality. However, legal complications are arising due to ongoing discussions regarding whether there is a legal basis for the applications and Hasina's eligibility to apply for these documents. The junior minister for foreign affairs expressed that Bangladesh seeks Hasina's return under an extradition treaty with India, but New Delhi has thus far declined to hand her over. As the daughter of Bangladesh's founder and first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina served as prime minister from 1996 to 2001 and again from 2009 to 2024. Her potential return could reignite legal and political issues within the country, given her continued support among certain segments of the population and the impact it may have on the Bangladeshi government's efforts to stabilize the country and its economy after two years of disruption.