Bangladesh's new Foreign Secretary silent on Hasina passport row
Synopsis
Bangladesh's brand-new Foreign Secretary walked into his first press conference and immediately sidestepped the most combustible question in Dhaka's diplomatic inbox: whether Sheikh Hasina will get a passport to return home. With the Awami League confirming a formal application, a New Delhi think tank invoking UN intervention, and the government demanding extradition instead, the Hasina file is fast becoming Bangladesh's defining diplomatic crisis of late 2026.
Key Takeaways
Bangladesh's new Foreign Secretary Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury declined to comment on Sheikh Hasina's passport application at his first press conference on 9 November 2026 .
The Awami League confirmed Hasina has formally applied for a new Bangladeshi passport and NID through lawyers in London , with a request submitted to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi .
The Rights and Risks Analysis Group in New Delhi called the denial of a passport a 'serious violation of her fundamental rights' and urged UN intervention .
Bangladesh's State Minister Humaiun Kobir had previously insisted Hasina must return via the India-Bangladesh extradition treaty , not a regular passport.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman departs for Turkey on Tuesday to attend the COP31 World Leaders' Summit in Antalya on 11-12 November .
Chowdhury, who joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1998 , previously served as Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York and Ambassador to Nepal .
Bangladesh's newly appointed Foreign Secretary Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury on Monday, 9 November 2026, declined to comment on reports that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has applied for a fresh Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card (NID), potentially paving the way for her return to Dhaka as early as December. The deflection came at Chowdhury's very first press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the agenda was officially set around Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's upcoming visit to Turkey.
What the Foreign Secretary Said
'We are mainly talking about the COP31 conference today. I have no comment on this matter,' Chowdhury was quoted as saying by Bangladesh's Daily Sun. The briefing had been convened specifically to discuss Rahman's forthcoming trip to Antalya for the World Leaders' Summit of COP31, scheduled for 11-12 November. Chowdhury took charge as Foreign Secretary on Sunday, succeeding Asad Alam Siam, who is set to assume his next posting as Bangladesh's High Commissioner to India.
Hasina's Passport Application and the Legal Dispute
Sheikh Hasina's party, the Awami League, announced on Monday that she has formally sought the issuance of a new passport and NID through her legal representatives based in London. Those representatives have reportedly approached the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, requesting that the process be expedited on the grounds of her Bangladeshi nationality and Bangladesh's obligations under international human rights instruments. The move comes amid reports that the previous Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration had revoked her existing documents.
The Rights and Risks Analysis Group, a New Delhi-based think tank, weighed in on Monday, stating that denying Hasina a passport to return to her own country 'would constitute a serious violation of her fundamental rights.' The group called on 'the international community, including the United Nations, to intervene with the Government of Bangladesh to ensure that former Prime Minister Hasina is issued a passport or an appropriate travel document to facilitate her immediate return to the country.'
Extradition Demand Versus Passport Rights
The legal and diplomatic dispute sharpened last week when Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said Dhaka wants India to hand over Hasina under the existing bilateral extradition treaty, explicitly rejecting the notion that she would need a passport or travel document to return. The Rights and Risks Analysis Group directly challenged that position, calling Kobir's statement 'without any legal basis and only meant to deny her right to return.' This sets up a pointed confrontation between Bangladesh's official extradition demand and the legal argument that Hasina retains an independent right to return as a citizen.
Notably, the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi — where Hasina's lawyers have submitted the passport request — falls under the very foreign ministry whose new chief has now publicly declined to address the matter.
Who Is Bangladesh's New Foreign Secretary
Chowdhury brings extensive multilateral experience to the role. He previously served as Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and as Ambassador to Nepal from November 2020 to December 2024. He has also been posted at Bangladesh's High Commissions in New Delhi and Islamabad, the Permanent Mission to the UN, and the Consulate General in New York, according to Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo. He joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1998. His appointment is on an until-further-notice basis, per a notification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
COP31 Visit and What Comes Next
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to depart Dhaka on Tuesday for an official visit to Turkey to attend the COP31 World Leaders' Summit. He will be accompanied by his spouse Zubaida Rahman and a high-level delegation including Environment Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, State Ministers for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir and Shama Obaed, and other senior officials. The parallel tracks — Dhaka's climate diplomacy abroad and the unresolved Hasina passport question at home — suggest the new Foreign Secretary will face mounting pressure to publicly clarify Bangladesh's position on both fronts in the days ahead.
Point of View
Without exposing itself to credible human rights criticism. India, sitting on Hasina as an uninvited houseguest, has its own incentive to let the passport dispute drag out. The real casualty is any semblance of a coherent Bangladesh foreign policy on the country's most watched domestic issue.
NationPress
9 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What has Sheikh Hasina applied for and why does it matter?
Sheikh Hasina has formally applied for a new Bangladeshi passport and National Identity Card through her lawyers in London, who have approached the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi. The application matters because it could pave the way for her return to Bangladesh as early as December 2026, and because reports indicate the previous interim administration revoked her existing documents.
Why did Bangladesh's new Foreign Secretary refuse to comment on Hasina's passport?
Foreign Secretary Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury said the press conference on 9 November was convened to discuss Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's upcoming COP31 trip to Turkey, and offered no further explanation for declining to address the passport question. His silence reflects the politically and legally sensitive nature of the issue for the current Bangladesh government.
What is Bangladesh's official position on Hasina's return?
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir stated last week that Dhaka wants India to hand over Hasina under the existing bilateral extradition treaty, and that she should not be issued a regular passport or travel document. Critics, including the Rights and Risks Analysis Group, have called this position legally baseless and a violation of her right to return as a citizen.
Who is Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, Bangladesh's new Foreign Secretary?
Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury took charge as Foreign Secretary on Sunday, 8 November 2026, succeeding Asad Alam Siam. He is a career diplomat who joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1998 and has previously served as Permanent Representative to the UN in New York and Ambassador to Nepal from November 2020 to December 2024.
What is COP31 and why is Bangladesh's Prime Minister attending?
COP31 is the 31st UN Climate Change Conference, with its World Leaders' Summit scheduled in Antalya, Turkey, on 11-12 November 2026. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is leading a high-level Bangladeshi delegation to the summit, which was the stated focus of the Foreign Secretary's first press briefing on 9 November.
