Ousted Bangladesh Leader Vows Return From Indian Exile in December
Sheikh Hasina says she will come home despite a death sentence and the threat of immediate arrest.
By Peter Graham ·
The United Nations estimates that nearly 1,400 people were killed during the crackdown on protesters in Bangladesh. That number forms the backdrop for a bold declaration by the former prime minister responsible for the security response. Sheikh Hasina said on Wednesday that she plans to return to her home country from exile in India next month.
Hasina was forced from power by student-led protests in 2024. A special tribunal in Bangladesh sentenced her to death in 2025 for crimes against humanity. The court ruled she ordered the crackdown that left hundreds dead and thousands injured. She has rejected the verdict and challenged the legitimacy of the trial.
The former leader has lived in India since fleeing her post. Bangladesh has repeatedly requested her extradition, but India has declined to hand her over. Hasina first announced her intention to return in August. She said her decision has not changed since then.
“If death is my destiny, I would rather die on the soil of my own country, among my own people,” she said. “So, I will return to Bangladesh. That decision has not changed.” She did not disclose how she plans to cross the border or what mode of transport she will use.
She acknowledged the risks of coming home. “I know that I may be arrested when I return. I may be imprisoned, tortured or even killed. I am fully aware of those possibilities,” she said. “But I cannot spend the rest of my life watching my people suffer from a distance.”
Political shifts have altered the landscape since Hasina left office. Muhammad Yunus led an interim administration for 18 months after her ouster. In February, Tarique Rahman won a landslide election. His victory came while Hasina’s Awami League party was barred from contesting the vote. The party remains banned now, with senior leaders arrested or in exile.
Hasina alleges that at least 20,000 party members have been killed since August 2024. She said thousands more have been arrested, tortured, or forced into hiding. Her supporters have lost homes and businesses due to their political affiliations. She described the current environment as lacking a normal political or democratic atmosphere.
Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have criticized Rahman’s government for assaults on civil and political rights. The government says the arrests involve specific charges. Hasina said she did not seek foreign protection from the United States or India. “I do not need the blessing of a foreign power to return to my own country,” she said. The Press Wing of the prime minister’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Hasina expressed concern about the growing influence of hard-liners in the country. “The present political environment has allowed extremist elements to become more confident,” she said. She is scheduled to return in December.
