India, Nov. 9 -- Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has applied for a new national passport and National Identity Card through the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, signalling concrete preparations for a possible return to the country next month.

The request was made in a formal letter dated 9 November and submitted by her London-based lawyer, Steven Powles KC of Matrix Chambers. It was addressed to Acting High Commissioner Preeti Rahman. The letter notes that Hasina's existing passport and NID are understood to have been cancelled by the interim authorities and other agencies in Dhaka, and asks that new documents be issued on the basis of her Bangladeshi citizenship and relevant legal and international obligations. It...