Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been sentenced to death in absentia by a tribunal in Bangladesh, has said that she and several senior leaders of the now-banned Awami League intend to return from exile in India around December and surrender before the courts. Despite acknowledging the threat to her life, Hasina said she remained determined to go back to her homeland.
Hasina has been living in India since August 5, 2024, after leaving Bangladesh following weeks of anti-government protests supported by Islamist groups. The demonstrations turned violent, and she was advised by the country's army chief to leave for her own safety.
In November 2025, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia over her alleged involvement in the crackdown on the 2024 student-led protests. Hasina has consistently denied all allegations against her.
In an interview with Reuters, the former prime minister said she was prepared to face arrest or even death upon her return but believed she had a duty to go back.
Her remarks came as Bangladesh continues to press India for her extradition.
HASINA SAYS SHE WILL RETURN DESPITE DEATH SENTENCE
Speaking during a nearly hour-long telephone interview with Reuters, Hasina said she and senior Awami League leaders planned to return to Bangladesh around December and surrender before the courts.
"They may arrest me on my return, they may even kill me," the 78-year-old said.
"Still, I have to go. My party leaders and workers are facing severe repression. If death comes, I want it to come on my own soil, where my parents are buried and where their blood was shed," she added.
Her comments come weeks after she indicated in another interview that she intended to return to Bangladesh. However, this is the first time she has publicly outlined a tentative timeline and stated that other senior Awami League leaders would also surrender alongside her.
According to Reuters, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who has also been sentenced to death, is expected to return with her.
HASINA HAS BEEN LIVING IN INDIA SINCE LEAVING BANGLADESH
Hasina fled Bangladesh in August 2024 after a student-led mass uprising ended her nearly two decades in power across multiple terms as prime minister.
Since then, she has been staying in India after New Delhi granted her refuge, a move that significantly affected diplomatic ties between the two neighbouring countries.
Later, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia over the government's response to the anti-government protests. Hasina has repeatedly denied accusations of wrongdoing.
Successive administrations in Dhaka, first the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus and later the BNP government headed by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, have repeatedly requested India to extradite her.
Hasina told Reuters that she had not discussed her return with any foreign government.
BANGLADESH CONTINUES TO SEEK HER EXTRADITION
"The authorities in Dhaka want me back. They are repeatedly sending letters to India requesting my extradition," Hasina said.
"I will go myself," she added.
India's Ministry of External Affairs has previously stated that Bangladesh's extradition request is under examination while reiterating New Delhi's commitment to maintaining constructive engagement with Dhaka.
"The request is being examined as part of ongoing judicial and internal legal processes. We will continue to engage constructively on the issue with all stakeholders... I would like to emphasise that the External Affairs Minister reiterated India's desire to engage constructively with the new government and further strengthen bilateral ties," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said in April when asked about Bangladesh's extradition request.
He had also stated that both countries agreed to explore proposals for strengthening bilateral cooperation through established mechanisms, with further official meetings expected to take place.
'I BELIEVE IN JUSTICE': HASINA
Hasina said she intended to surrender because she believed the judicial process would eventually expose what she described as politically motivated cases against her.
"I believe in justice, and I feel that once proceedings begin, people will see how farcical the court is. That is what I want to prove," she told Reuters.
Her remarks come after Bangladesh's Police Bureau of Investigation earlier this year recommended dropping an attempted murder case against her and 112 others, stating that the alleged victim could not be traced and that the complaint contained fabricated information. Investigators also said they faced pressure despite concluding that the case was fundamentally unreliable, lending support to the Awami League's claims that politically motivated "ghost cases" had been filed following Hasina's removal from office.
Hasina declined to reveal the exact date of her return or identify the court where she intended to surrender.
She also said she was not concerned about being imprisoned, noting that she had previously been jailed several times during her political career, including under Bangladesh's military-backed caretaker government in 2007 before returning to power after the 2008 elections.
According to Hasina, she has been holding online meetings covering 125 of Bangladesh's 300 parliamentary constituencies as part of efforts to reorganise the Awami League, which was banned by the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus.
Reflecting on her two decades in office, Hasina acknowledged that mistakes could have occurred but maintained that the final judgment should rest with the people of Bangladesh.
"When a government remains in power for a long time, mistakes can happen. No government is free from errors. But it is for the people to judge what was right and wrong. I leave that judgment to them," she said.
