RRAG urges UN to intervene over Sheikh Hasina’s right to return to Bangladesh

Guwahati: The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) sought the interventions of the United Nations Secretary General Guterres, High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk and Special Rapporteurs to intervene against denial of the right to return to her country to Sheikh Hasina.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina applied for a new passport after Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Humaiun Kabir, announced on 5 November 2026, that former Prime currently living in exile in India would not be issued a regular passport or a travel pass to return to the country. Kabir stated that she must be brought back to Bangladesh from Delhi under the existing extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India.

“The right to return is a fundamental human right recognised under international human rights law and the Constitution of Bangladesh. Article 13(2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 14(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) ratified by Bangladesh guarantees the right to return. In fact, Article 36 of the Constitution of Bangladesh also guarantees that “every citizen shall have the right to leave and re-enter Bangladesh” – stated Suhas Chakma, Director of the RRAG.


“In fact, Article 31 of the Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees equal protection if law to the citizens of Bangladesh wherever s/he may be and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in its judgment dated 27 September 2021 in Durnity Daman Commission Versus G.B. Hossai and Others held that restrictions under Article 36 must be by way of the law enacted and must be reasonably needed in the public interest and Without backing of law imposition of restriction on the freedom of movement by an executive order will be unconstitutional. And there is no law in Bangladesh prohibiting the entry of its citizens”. – further asserte Chakma.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted on 5 August 2024, and she arrived in India aboard a C-130 Bangladesh Air Force transport aircraft arranged by the Bangladesh government. Since 23 December 2024, the then Interim Government of Bangladesh, led by Dr Muhammad Yunus, and subsequently the current Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government, led by Tarique Rahman, have demanded Sheikh Hasina’s extradition from India. Successive governments of Bangladesh have blamed India for not extraditing her.

“However, after Hasina announced her decision to return to Bangladesh despite having been death sentence in abstentia by the International Criminal Court, a local Bangladeshi court, in November 2025 for alleged crimes against humanity, Bangladesh has been making excuses to prevent her return! The Indo-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty contains no provision that allows denial of a passport or travel document to any person subjected to request for extradition. Rather, Article 20 of the Indo-Bangladesh Extradition Treaty provides that both India and Bangladesh must comply with Article 14(2) of the ICCPR, which has been ratified by both countries” stated Chakma.

The RRAG stated that it is a standard universal practice for the home country to issue either a passport or a travel document for any person wishing to return to the country or to be repatriated to any country. No responsible home country allows anyone to enter the country without first verifying the nationality. Bangladesh is unnecessarily creating obstacles to deny rights to former Prime Minister.