Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced that she plans to return to Bangladesh from exile in India around December, despite facing a death sentence and the possibility of arrest or even death upon her arrival. In an interview with Reuters, Hasina said she and several senior leaders of the Awami League intend to voluntarily return to Bangladesh and surrender before the courts, describing it as both a political and personal decision. “They may arrest me on my return, they may even kill me. Still, I have to go,” Hasina told Reuters. “If death comes, I want it to come on my own soil, where my parents are buried and where their blood was shed.” The 78-year-old leader said she would return alongside senior Awami League leaders, many of whom are also facing criminal cases after the party was removed from power in 2024. Among them is former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who has also reportedly been sentenced to death in absentia. Hasina said the decision was taken in response to what she described as the continued persecution of her party workers. Speaking to Reuters, she claimed that Awami League leaders and supporters have faced widespread arrests, legal action and intimidation since her government was toppled.
Death Sentence After Ouster
Hasina fled Bangladesh in 2024 after a student-led uprising brought an end to her two-decade rule. Later, Bangladesh’s war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia over allegations that she ordered a violent crackdown on protesters during the unrest. She has consistently denied all allegations. Bangladesh has repeatedly sought her extradition from India, where she has remained in exile. However, Hasina told Reuters she has not discussed her return with either the Indian or Bangladeshi governments. “They want to take me back… I will go myself,” she said.
‘I Believe In Justice’
Hasina said she intends to surrender voluntarily because she believes the legal proceedings will expose what she called the shortcomings of the cases against her. She also maintained that imprisonment does not intimidate her, recalling that she had previously been jailed several times during Bangladesh’s military rule and again in 2007 before returning to power through elections in 2008. Reflecting on her long tenure, Hasina acknowledged that governments can make mistakes but insisted that the ultimate verdict should belong to the people rather than political opponents. “When a government works for a long time, mistakes can happen. But the right to judge the good and bad belongs to the people,” she told Reuters. Hasina also revealed that she has been holding online meetings across 125 parliamentary constituencies to reorganise the Awami League, despite the party facing a ban in Bangladesh. She added that even if she is barred from contesting future elections, the Awami League should be allowed to participate in the democratic process.
