Bangladesh’s transitional government to revoke diplomatic passports

Bangladesh's transitional government has announced the revocation of diplomatic passports previously held by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other senior officials from her administration.

This decision, announced by the Home Ministry, comes after Hasina's resignation and departure to India on August 5, following weeks of intense student-led protests, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who assumed leadership of the transitional government on August 8, will oversee this transition. The Home Ministry has stated that former officials, including Hasina, her Cabinet members, advisers, and all members of the dissolved parliament, will now need to apply for ordinary passports. Their applications must be cleared by two security agencies before new passports are issued.

Md Mashiur Rahman, senior secretary of the Security Services Division, confirmed the decision, stating, “We have directed the Department of Immigration and Passports to implement this change. An official order will be issued shortly.”

The government has not disclosed the total number of diplomatic passport holders affected by this change. Under a memorandum of understanding between Bangladesh and India, holders of diplomatic and official passports from both nations can stay in each other's countries for up to 45 days without a visa.

Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain indicated that the transitional government may request India's extradition of Hasina, given the numerous legal cases filed against her, including allegations of murder and genocide. The student protests, which led to nearly 650 deaths according to a UN report, were a catalyst for these developments.