Bangladesh’s interim government revoked the diplomatic passport of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday. The move to revoke Hasina’s documents could throw doubt on her future plans, a day after a United Nations team arrived in Dhaka to assess whether to investigate alleged human rights abuses.
Former Prime Minister Hasina along with her closest members went to New Delhi to take shelter as the participation in the student movement started against the misuse of reservation in government jobs. The agitators reached his official residence in Dhaka and vandalized it.
More than 450 people died during the protests that ended his 15-year-long rule.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a statement saying that Hasina’s passport and the passports of former government ministers and former parliamentarians should be cancelled.
This has also created a diplomatic dilemma for the regional power India, which is sheltering Hasina. Although India gave Hasina asylum, Prime Minister Modi also supported Bangladesh’s new leader, Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus.
The statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs of Bangladesh said, ‘The former prime minister, his advisers, former cabinet and all members of the dissolved National Assembly were eligible for diplomatic passports based on their positions. In the event that they are dismissed or retired, their diplomatic passports and those of their spouses should be cancelled,” the statement said.
New Dhaka officials have said Hasina and other former top officials under his tenure can apply for special passports, but those documents are subject to approval.
“When the above-mentioned person makes a new application for a normal passport, two security agencies have to approve his application for the issuance of a passport,” the ministry said.
Hasina’s government has been accused of abusing opposition leaders and activists and common people. It also includes mass detention and extrajudicial killing of political opponents.
The United Nations human rights office said in a preliminary report last week that there were strong indications that security forces had used unnecessary and disproportionate force and that more independent investigations were needed.
Yunus said that his administration will provide all necessary support to the UN researchers.
The Bangladeshi War Crimes Tribunal, formed by former Prime Minister Hasina, has said that it has proceeded with the investigation in three cases related to the ‘mass murder’ of its founder in connection with the recent unrest.
