Sheikh Hasina Vows to Return to Bangladesh Despite Death Sentence

Melbourne, 6 August: Bangladesh’s former prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return to Bangladesh in December, declaring that neither imprisonment nor the threat of execution will prevent her from going home.

According to a report published by Indian English-language newspaper The Pioneer, Hasina made the announcement on Wednesday while virtually addressing an event organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi. The report described it as her first formal media interaction since she left Bangladesh on 5 August 2024.

“My return is not about power. It is about putting Bangladesh back on the path of development, secularism and prosperity,” the 78-year-old former prime minister said.

Acknowledging that she could be imprisoned or executed upon her return, Hasina said, “I know they may put me in jail or kill me, but I will go back home to be with my people.”

Hasina reportedly broke down in tears during the press conference as she urged her supporters inside and outside Bangladesh to remain united. She said fear would not stop them and maintained that her decision to return was final, even if it meant facing arrest or a death sentence.

“I have decided to go, and I will go to Bangladesh,” she said.

Hasina left Bangladesh for India on 5 August 2024 following the collapse of her government amid a student-led uprising and widespread political unrest. She has remained in India since then.

The report said that a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced Hasina to death in absentia last November over alleged crimes against humanity connected to her government’s crackdown on the 2024 protests. The Bangladeshi government has also formally requested that India extradite her to face the country’s judicial process.

Hasina, however, rejected both the allegations against her and the prevailing account of the movement that led to her removal. She claimed that the protests were not merely a peaceful student movement but had been exploited by organised political groups and transformed into a violent campaign.

Describing the current situation in Bangladesh as “deeply disturbing,” Hasina alleged that fear had spread through homes, workplaces and educational institutions.

“Fear has entered homes, workplaces and educational campuses. This is not the Bangladesh we built,” she said.

She also appealed to the international community to stand beside the people of Bangladesh in what she described as their struggle for democracy and justice.

“I was forced away from my country, but I am never separated from my people,” Hasina said.

Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, also participated in the media interaction alongside several Awami League leaders and supporters.

Joy alleged that political violence had become institutionalised in Bangladesh since August 2024 and that the country’s law-and-order situation had deteriorated severely. Describing Bangladesh as a “failed state,” he claimed that the current situation should also concern India.

Hasina expressed her gratitude to India for providing her with refuge following her departure from Dhaka.

“India has always been a great friend of Bangladesh,” she said, thanking New Delhi for its support during her time in exile.

Hasina’s announcement is expected to heighten political tensions in Bangladesh. While the Bangladeshi authorities are seeking her extradition, the former prime minister has now publicly declared that she intends to return regardless of the possible consequences.

Her proposed return and the responses of both Dhaka and New Delhi are therefore likely to be closely watched across South Asia in the coming months.