Dhaka, Nov 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) Bangladesh’s newly appointed Foreign Secretary Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury on Monday refrained from commenting on reports that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has applied for a new passport and National Identity Card (NID), ahead of a possible return to the country in December, local media reported.
Addressing his first press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on Monday, Salahuddin said he has no comments to make on Hasina’s passport application, noting that the briefing was primarily convened to discuss Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit to Turkey for the COP31 climate conference.
“We are mainly talking about the COP31 conference today. I have no comment on this matter,” Bangladesh’s 'Daily Sun' quoted the Foreign Secretary as saying.
Hasina has formally sought the issuance of a fresh Bangladeshi passport and NID, marking a significant step towards her return to Bangladesh, her party, the Awami League, announced on Monday. The move comes amid reports that the previous Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration had revoked her existing documents.
According to the party, through her legal representatives in London, Hasina has approached the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, urging it to expedite the process. The request cited her Bangladeshi nationality and Bangladesh's obligations under international human rights instruments.
New Delhi-based think tank, Rights and Risks Analysis Group, on Monday said that denying Hasina a passport to facilitate her return to her own country would constitute a serious violation of her fundamental rights.
“The international community, including the United Nations, ought 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,” the group said
The remarks came after Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir last week said that Dhaka wanted India to hand over Hasina under the existing extradition treaty, rejecting suggestions that she would need a passport or other travel documents to return.
“The statement of Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Humaiun Kabir that Hasina would not be issued a regular passport or a travel pass to return to the country and she must be brought back to Bangladesh from Delhi under the existing extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India is without any legal basis and is only meant to deny her right to return,” Rights and Risks Analysis Group stated.
Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury took charge as Bangladesh's new Foreign Secretary on Sunday, succeeding Asad Alam Siam, who is scheduled to assume his next assignment as the country's High Commissioner to India.
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chowdhury will discharge the responsibilities of the Foreign Secretary until further notice.
He previously held the position of Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York before returning to Dhaka.
Since joining the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1998, Chowdhury has served in several diplomatic capacities, including as Ambassador to Nepal from November 2020 to December 2024.
His other overseas assignments include postings at Bangladesh's High Commissions in New Delhi and Islamabad, the Permanent Mission to the UN and the Consulate General in New York, Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo reported.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to leave Dhaka on Tuesday for an official visit to Turkey to attend the World Leaders’ Summit of COP31, scheduled to be held in Antalya on November 11-12.
He will be accompanied by his spouse, Zubaida Rahman, along with a high-level delegation comprising Bangladesh's Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo; State Ministers for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir and Shama Obaed; the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and other senior government officials.
Source: IANS
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