Sheikh Hasina's Bold Plan: Exiled Bangladeshi Leader to Return Amid Death Sentence

Sheikh Hasina's Planned Return to Bangladesh

New Delhi: Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, who is currently in exile in India, has announced her intention to return home in December despite facing a death sentence. Her party, the Awami League, has been banned in Bangladesh.

In a recent interview with Reuters, Hasina, who has been the longest-serving leader in Bangladesh, expressed her determination to return voluntarily to the country she left two years ago. She aims to present herself in court, which will test the government's approach to dealing with its most significant political adversary.

During the nearly hour-long phone conversation, the 78-year-old leader acknowledged the risks involved, stating, "They may arrest me on my return, they may even kill me. Still, I have to go. My party leaders and workers are being subjected to tremendous repression. If death comes, I want it to come on my own soil, where my parents are buried and where their blood was shed."

Hasina fled Bangladesh in 2024 following protests that ended her two-decade tenure as prime minister. In November, she was sentenced to death in absentia by the country’s war-crimes court for allegedly ordering a violent crackdown on a student-led uprising, charges she denies.

Her return could exacerbate political tensions in Bangladesh, a key player in the garment export industry, as the Dhaka government seeks to stabilize the nation after two years of turmoil. Conversely, it might also mend the strained relationship with India, which has been under pressure to extradite her since granting her asylum.

This announcement marks the first time Hasina has provided a specific timeline for her return, indicating that she and other exiled Awami League leaders, including former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who also faces a death sentence, plan to surrender.