Reports: US revokes Sheikh Hasina's visa

The US has reportedly revoked the visa of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said, according to sources.

In recent years, the relationship between the Sheikh Hasina administration and the United States has been fraught with tension.

The US has repeatedly expressed concerns about the state of democracy in Bangladesh, especially after Hasina’s Awami League party won a straight fourth term in January 2024.

These concerns triggered the imposition of visa restrictions on Bangladeshi politicians and officials, including members of law enforcement, the ruling party, and others who were believed to be complicit in undermining the democratic election process. US State Department had refused to name people citing privacy issues.

In May 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken's warned that the possible visa restrictions were a sign that the US would not tolerate elements that jeopardised free and fair elections in Bangladesh. However, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen had dismissed the US sanctions, stating that Bangladesh could conduct its elections without external interference. 

After Hasina stepped down yesterday and fled Dhaka, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reiterated that the US wanted Bangladeshis to decide their government's future, in keeping with democratic principles and the rule of law.