Exiled Bangladesh PM Hasina Plans Return This Year

Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s former prime minister who fled to India after a student uprising ended her 15-year rule, said she plans to return “this year” despite a death sentence handed down by a Dhaka court. The interview, published Sunday by NDTV, marks her first substantive statement since a rare broadcast in January.

Hasina, 78, left for India in August 2024. A Dhaka court found her guilty in November of incitement, ordering killings, and failing to prevent atrocities during her rule. The court sentenced her to death by hanging. Her Awami League party, once the country’s dominant political force, has since been banned.

Hasina called the verdict “part of an illegal, unconstitutional and politically motivated process.” She said she was not afraid of death. “Overcoming every obstacle and every conspiracy, I will return to my country this year,” she said.

Her exile has become a persistent irritant between India and Bangladesh. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, elected in a landslide in February, has repeatedly asked New Delhi to extradite Hasina. Rahman’s victory improved official ties after years of friction. The extradition request remains unanswered.

Hasina gave no details on how she would re-enter Bangladesh or avoid arrest. The statement itself carries no immediate legal or political weight. It does, however, set the stage for renewed public debate in both countries over the verdict, the extradition demand, and the stability of Rahman’s government as it navigates a 170-million-person nation still adjusting to the end of Hasina’s long tenure.