Bangladesh Revokes Diplomatic Passports of Ousted Premier Sheikh Hasina

Bangladesh’s interim government has revoked the diplomatic passport of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, following her recent flight from the country amid a student-led uprising. The decision, announced by the interior ministry, also affects former ministers and ex-lawmakers who are no longer in office.

According to the ministry’s statement, all diplomatic passports issued to former officials, including their spouses, must be revoked upon their removal or retirement from their positions. This move comes after more than 450 people were killed—many by police fire—during the protests that led to Hasina’s ouster and the storming of her official residence in Dhaka.

A United Nations team arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday to assess potential human rights violations related to the protests and the violent crackdown that ended Hasina’s 15-year rule marked by accusations of mass detention and extrajudicial killings of political opponents.

The statement from the interior ministry clarified that former Prime Minister Hasina, along with her advisers, former cabinet members, and dissolved national assembly members, were initially eligible for diplomatic passports due to their official positions. However, those who have been removed from their posts are now required to return their diplomatic passports.

The new Bangladeshi authorities have stated that Hasina and other former top officials may apply for standard passports if needed. However, these applications will require clearance from two security agencies before issuance.

Hasina, who has fled to India, was a close ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government favored her over rivals from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, perceived as closer to conservative Islamist groups. While in India, Modi has also extended support to the new Bangladeshi leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who is leading the caretaker administration.

Yunus has pledged that his administration will cooperate with UN investigators, offering “whatever support” is required for their inquiry.