In a significant development, ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has applied for a new passport and identity card, indicating her intention to end her self-imposed exile in India and return to Bangladesh. According to reports, Hasina plans to surrender before a court in Bangladesh following the completion of various formalities. The war crimes court in Bangladesh sentenced Hasina to death in absentia last November for ordering a deadly crackdown on student protests in 2024, which resulted in an estimated 1,400 fatalities according to United Nations estimates. The government is currently reviewing Hasina's application to determine its legality and whether she is entitled to apply for the documents. Meanwhile, junior foreign minister Humaiun Kobir has stated that Bangladesh wishes to see Hasina returned under an extradition treaty with India, a request that New Delhi has so far declined. Hasina's potential return could rekindle legal and political issues in Bangladesh, as she still enjoys support among segments of the population. Her return could also impact the government's efforts to stabilize the country after two years of disruption following her ousting by a popular student-led protest movement that opposed a job quota system favoring the descendants of the country's liberation activists.