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Former US diplomat Jon F Danilowicz has said that ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s request for a new passport and national identity card (NID) is primarily aimed at shifting blame onto the Bangladesh government for preventing her alleged desire to return home.
In a post on his X account on Monday, Danilowicz said the move could also indicate an effort by her hosts in India to find a third country willing to accept her and thereby resolve what he described as their “Hasina problem”.
“Hasina’s request for a passport and ID card is primarily a way to shift blame onto the Bangladesh Government for thwarting her alleged ‘desire’ to return,” he wrote.
“It could also signal an effort by her hosts to offload their Hasina problem by finding a third country to accept her,” he added.
Danilowicz is a retired US diplomat who served at the US Embassy in Dhaka in different capacities, including as deputy chief of mission from 2012 to 2014. He also served as political and economic counsellor at the embassy from 2007 to 2011.
His remarks came after Hasina's lawyers reportedly sought a new Bangladeshi passport and NID from the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Monday, citing the reported revocation of her previous documents.
Hasina has expressed her intention to return to Bangladesh in December and face the legal proceedings against her. However, the Bangladesh government has said it is examining the authenticity and legal basis of the reported applications while pursuing her return through the extradition treaty with India.