Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in exile, has said she plans to return to her country “this year,” according to an interview published on Sunday. This comes months after she was sentenced in absentia to death on charges of crimes against humanity.
Hasina, 78, left for neighbouring India in August 2024 following a student-led uprising that brought an end to her 15-year rule.
Since then, she has largely remained out of public view, apart from a rare address delivered via broadcast to a packed press club in New Delhi in January.
Here’s what Hasina said
In an interview with NDTV, Hasina said she was not afraid of death and that the verdict against her was “part of an illegal, unconstitutional and politically motivated process”.
“Many conspiracies have been hatched against me. But breaking through every web of conspiracy… I was elected prime minister five times by the people’s vote and worked for the country’s unprecedented development,” Hasina said.
“I want to say clearly: overcoming every obstacle and every conspiracy, I will return to my country this year,” she added in response to a question on whether she would return despite the death penalty verdict.
Last November, a Dhaka court found Hasina guilty of incitement, ordering killings, and failing to act to prevent atrocities, and she was sentenced to death by hanging.
Her former ruling party, the Awami League—once one of the most popular political parties in the country—has since been banned.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have improved following a landslide election victory by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in February in the South Asian nation of 170 million people.
But frictions remain, with Bangladesh repeatedly demanding the extradition of Hasina.
(With inputs from agencies)
