Government of India Modi gave Sheikh Hasina travel document

Indian authorities have given travel documents to former Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina. An influential leader of the UK Awami League, close to Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Rehana's family, confirmed the matter on Wednesday (October 9).

However, he did not want to reveal his name due to the fear that the party may be harmed if his identity is revealed. Meanwhile, whether India has issued a 'travel document' to Sheikh Hasina, who is staying in Delhi, the Indian government has not yet officially responded to the question.

The leader of United Kingdom Awami League said, "The leader (Sheikh Hasina) will be able to travel with the visa of any country in the world with the travel document given by the Indian government."

Sheikh Hasina is being given round-the-clock security in India. His sister Sheikh Rehana is also staying there," said the leader of the United Kingdom Awami League.

However, Sheikh Hasina will remain in India even if she gets the travel document, he said. "He has no plans to travel outside India anytime soon," he said.

Asylum seekers are usually given a travel document from that country. In response to the question that Sheikh Hasina has taken political asylum in India, the leader said that considering the importance of Sheikh Hasina, India has made special arrangements for her.

A top official of India's Foreign Office said, 'Rather wait for the next briefing from our ministry. Ask questions there, what the spokesperson says!

However, it is clear that the Government of India has neither officially acknowledged nor denied the issuance of these travel documents.

Meanwhile, a former top diplomat of India, who was also the High Commissioner of India in Dhaka, said, "If India has really given Sheikh Hasina a travel document, I will not be surprised at all." Because this is the most natural and expected step in this situation.

He also explains that there are hundreds of thousands of Tibetan refugees living in India, including McLeodganj, but most of them do not hold Indian passports. Instead, they travel to different countries of the world with this type of 'travel document' (abbreviated as 'TD').

It is not a passport, but a special type of 'identity card' issued by the Government of India; With which you can travel abroad. Different countries of the world also provide visas. Its formal name is 'Identity Certificate' or IC. While normal Indian passports are dark blue in colour, the IC is usually issued in the form of a yellow colored booklet.

The 14th Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, fled to India in 1959 to avoid the eyes of China and received political asylum in this country. He also travels all over the world with such a 'travel document' or IC. Even though he had the opportunity to get an Indian passport, he did not take it till date.

Second or third generation Tibetans born on Indian soil are also entitled to Indian citizenship by birth. But most of them don't take Indian passports and instead use this 'TD' or 'IC' to travel to different countries of the world.

Now Sheikh Hasina's official or diplomatic passport (which was valid even when she left the country on August 5) has been canceled ('revoked') by the interim government of Bangladesh. So now if he wants to go to any third country from India, that old passport will not work. A 'TD' would need to be issued, and the Government of India is believed to have done just that.

The former ambassador was also saying, "I don't know if India will give political asylum to Sheikh Hasina." But the way the events of the last two months have unfolded, I see a lot of similarities between the Dalai Lama's case and Sheikh Hasina's case.

As long as you stay in India, Sheikh Hasina will sit idly by, this cannot happen anymore. The Dalai Lama did the same, pursuing politics and diplomacy and visiting many countries around the world.'

Similarly, due to political needs, it is natural that Sheikh Hasina also has to go outside India to meet the leaders and workers of the party scattered around the world. Realizing that reality, if India has given him 'TD' or 'IC', it is not surprising," said the former diplomat.