Several Bangladeshi media outlets have published reports under headlines claiming that “Sheikh Hasina has applied for a new passport.” However, fact-checking platform Fast Check has described the headlines as misleading.

According to Fast Check’s investigation, Sheikh Hasina did not personally apply for a new passport. Instead, London-based law firm Matrix Chambers sent a letter to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on her behalf, requesting necessary arrangements for issuing a new passport and National Identity Card (NID).

Fast Check found that several media outlets, including Jugantor, bdnews24.com, The Daily Ittefaq, Jamuna TV and Jago News, published reports with almost identical headlines. The reports were primarily based on coverage by international news agencies Reuters and the Associated Press (AP).

However, neither Reuters nor AP stated in their original reports that Sheikh Hasina had personally applied for a passport. Both news agencies described the matter as a request from her legal representatives for the issuance of a passport and NID.

Citing a letter obtained by AP, the report said one of Sheikh Hasina’s lawyers had requested the head of Bangladesh’s diplomatic mission in New Delhi to take necessary steps to issue a passport and national identity card for her.

In the letter addressed to Priti Rahman, Acting High Commissioner of Bangladesh in New Delhi, Matrix Chambers stated that it understood that the interim government and other authorities had cancelled Sheikh Hasina’s existing Bangladeshi passport and NID. In this situation, the law firm requested the necessary steps to issue new documents for its client.

Reuters also described the matter as a request for the issuance of a passport and NID. Its report further mentioned that the law firm had requested expedited processing.

According to Fast Check, submitting a formal passport application and sending a letter to a diplomatic mission requesting passport issuance on someone’s behalf are two different things.

Under Bangladesh’s regular e-passport procedure, applicants must first complete an online application form. They must then appear in person at the designated passport office or a Bangladeshi diplomatic mission abroad to provide photographs, fingerprints and iris scans.

However, neither AP nor Reuters reported that Sheikh Hasina had submitted a formal application form or provided biometric information as part of the process.

Therefore, based on the available information, her legal representatives requested the Bangladesh High Commission to take necessary steps to issue a new passport and NID on her behalf. Presenting this as Sheikh Hasina’s personal passport application is not an accurate representation of the facts.