Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said she plans to return to Bangladesh around December alongside senior leaders of the Awami League and voluntarily surrender before the courts, despite facing a death sentence handed down in absentia.
In an interview with Reuters, Hasina, 78, said she was prepared to face arrest—or even death—upon her return, insisting that she wanted to stand trial in her homeland.
"They may arrest me on my return, they may even kill me. Still, I have to go," Hasina told Reuters in a telephone interview conducted late Thursday and into Friday.
She said Awami League leaders and workers have faced severe repression since her government was ousted and that she wanted to return to Bangladesh regardless of the personal risks.
"If death comes, I want it to come on my own soil, where my parents are buried and where their blood was shed," she said.
First Timeline for Return Since Exile
Hasina fled to India in 2024 after a mass student-led protest movement ended her two-decade rule as Bangladesh's prime minister across multiple terms.
In November last year, Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia over her alleged role in ordering a deadly crackdown on protesters. Hasina has consistently denied the charges.
According to Reuters, this is the first time the former prime minister has publicly outlined a timeline for returning to Bangladesh, stated that she intends to surrender voluntarily, or indicated that other exiled Awami League leaders would do the same.
Among those expected to return is former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who also faces a death sentence. Reuters said it could not independently verify the whereabouts of the other Awami League leaders.
'I Will Go Myself'
Hasina said she had not consulted any foreign government regarding her return and insisted the decision was entirely her own.
"They want to take me back, they are repeatedly sending letters to India seeking to have me sent back. I will go myself," she told Reuters.
Bangladesh has repeatedly requested India to extradite Hasina following her exile. However, neither the Bangladesh government nor India's Ministry of External Affairs immediately commented on her latest remarks.
Reuters noted that India's foreign ministry had previously said it was examining Dhaka's extradition request while seeking to maintain constructive engagement with Bangladesh's current government.
Political Fallout
Hasina acknowledged that her long tenure in office had been controversial but maintained that the final judgment should rest with the people of Bangladesh.
"When a government works for a long time, mistakes can happen—no government is above error. But the right to judge the good and bad, the right and wrong of a government belongs to the people," she said.
She also claimed that the Awami League has continued organisational work in exile through virtual meetings across Bangladesh's parliamentary constituencies.
"They may have convicted me, and I may not be able to contest elections. But why should they suspend the Awami League? If we have done badly, let the people decide," she said.
The planned return, if it takes place, is expected to have significant political implications for Bangladesh, where the Awami League has been banned and many of its leaders continue to face legal proceedings. It could also influence already strained diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and India, which have remained under pressure since New Delhi granted Hasina refuge following her ouster.
(With inputs from Reuters)
