No Passport for Convicted Fugitive Hasina; Death Penalty to Be Enforced Upon Return: ICT Chief Prosecutor

Ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is legally barred from receiving a passport due to her status as a convicted fugitive, and her death sentence will be executed immediately upon her return to Bangladesh, according to International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam.

Addressing a press conference at the tribunal premises on Tuesday, Aminul explained that Hasina has not appealed the tribunal’s verdict and has exhausted all legal avenues to challenge it.

Citing the legal framework, he pointed out that Article 6 of the Bangladesh Passport Order, 1973, prohibits issuing a passport to anyone convicted of a crime within the preceding five years if the sentence exceeds two years. Furthermore, Article 7 permits the cancellation or seizure of passports for individuals convicted of offenses involving moral turpitude—a category that encompasses the crimes against humanity for which Hasina was sentenced to death.

The chief prosecutor added that sub-clauses A, B, C, and E of Article 6 strip passport authorities of any jurisdiction to grant travel documents to individuals in her circumstances. He also noted that while Article 36 of the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to freedom of movement, it does not apply to convicted fugitives who have evaded judicial proceedings.

Addressing recent reports that a London-based law firm applied for a passport on Hasina’s behalf through the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, Aminul questioned the legitimacy of the move. He noted that passport applications must be filed personally, questioned how a UK-based firm could act on behalf of someone residing in India without an officially publicized client agreement, and warned that issuing a passport in violation of the law would mock the judicial process.