Retired US diplomat John F. Danilovich, who previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Bangladesh, has suggested that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s application for a new passport and National Identity Card (NID) may be politically motivated.In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday (November 10), Danilovich said Hasina’s application for a passport and NID could be part of a strategy to hold the Bangladesh government responsible for preventing her return to the country.

He suggested that through the application, Hasina might be attempting to create the impression that she genuinely wants to return to Bangladesh but is being prevented from doing so by the government.

Danilovich further noted that the country currently providing shelter to Hasina might also be seeking a way out of the situation surrounding her presence there.

He added that there could be an effort to persuade a third country to accept Hasina, potentially easing the diplomatic complications faced by her host country.

John F. Danilovich is a retired US Department of State diplomat who served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Dhaka from September 2007 to August 2011.

During his tenure, he worked under then-US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W. Mozena.

Danilovich was also involved in discussions with the Bangladesh government concerning the process leading to the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (TICFA) between Bangladesh and the United States.

He was a familiar and widely discussed figure in Bangladesh’s diplomatic and political circles during his tenure.