Sheikh Hasina’s Diplomatic Passport Revoked: Countdown Begins on Her Stay in India

Sheikh Hasina’s Diplomatic Passport Revoked: Countdown Begins on Her Stay in India

With the Bangladesh interim government withdrawing her diplomatic passport, the clock is ticking for former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina’s stay in India. It came after she was ousted following a student-led uprising against her government and the dissolution of the 12th Jatiya Sangsad by President Mohammed Shahabuddin. Hasina’s advisors, former cabinet members, and their spouses have also been divested of their respective diplomatic passports.

There is more to it: Sheikh Hasina has spent almost three weeks in India, and she doesn’t have any other passport besides the now-revoked diplomatic one, putting her in a very precarious position. The Indian visa policies grant a visa-free entry to Bangladeshi citizens holding a diplomatic passport, with a provision for a 45-day stay. Having spent 20 days already in India, Hasina’s legal sojourn is fast running out.

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The revocation of her diplomatic passport also embroils her in deep legal trouble. Should the visa-free stay run out, Hasina might be extradited to Bangladesh, where 51 cases—among others, 42 for murder—await her. Although the Extradition Treaty with Bangladesh, as amended in 2016, does allow refusal on political charges, murder was excluded from this definition. However, refusal under the treaty is permitted if charges have not been made in good faith or in the interest of justice.

As hours turn into minutes, speculations arise over what Hasina will do next. Her future seems uncertain; her diplomatic privileges revoked and probably even extradition pending.