Dhaka: Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has reiterated that she will return to Bangladesh in December, despite being sentenced to death over her government’s crackdown on protesters and the possibility of immediate arrest. Living in exile in India since her removal from power in 2024, Hasina said she was unwilling to remain abroad while her supporters faced arrests, violence and political persecution.
In an email response to questions, Hasina said her decision to return had not changed. She acknowledged that she could face arrest, imprisonment, torture or even death after reaching Bangladesh, but said she would rather face those risks in her home country.
Her proposed return comes amid continuing political uncertainty in Bangladesh. The Awami League, the party she led for years, remains banned from electoral politics, while several of its senior leaders have been arrested or forced into exile. Hasina has accused the authorities of suppressing her party and its supporters.
Hasina says she is prepared to face arrest
Hasina said she was aware of the risks associated with returning to Bangladesh but did not want to spend the rest of her life watching developments in the country from India.
“If death is my destiny, I would rather die on the soil of my own country, among my own people,” she told in an email response. “So, I will return to Bangladesh. That decision has not changed.”
The questions were sent to her last week, and she responded on Wednesday. However, Hasina did not reveal how she intended to travel from India to Bangladesh or provide details about the arrangements for her return.
Her arrival could lead to her arrest, given the death sentence handed down by a Bangladeshi special tribunal in 2025. The verdict relates to the violent crackdown on protesters during the uprising that eventually brought an end to her 15-year rule.
Hasina said she understood that she could be detained or subjected to mistreatment. “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. But I cannot spend the rest of my life watching my people suffer from a distance,” she said.
The statement reinforces her earlier announcement in August that she intended to return in December. It also places her future in Bangladesh at the centre of the country’s continuing political debate.
Death sentence follows 2024 protest crackdown
Hasina fled to India after student-led protests in 2024 forced her out of office. The demonstrations, which began over public-sector job quotas, expanded into a nationwide movement demanding political change and her resignation.
A special tribunal in Bangladesh sentenced her to death in 2025 for crimes against humanity, ruling that she had ordered the crackdown on protesters. The violence resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries, according to the tribunal’s findings.
A United Nations report estimated that nearly 1,400 people were killed during the unrest. The report documented the scale of the violence surrounding the protests and the security forces’ response.
Hasina has denied wrongdoing and rejected the tribunal’s verdict. She has also questioned the legitimacy of the proceedings, maintaining that the case against her is politically motivated.
The verdict has left her facing a serious legal obstacle if she returns. Bangladesh has repeatedly sought her extradition from India, but New Delhi has not handed her over. Her continued stay in India has therefore become an important issue in relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Awami League remains barred from election
The political situation has changed significantly since Hasina’s departure. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge of an interim administration following the uprising and led the country for the next 18 months.
In February, Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and a long-time political rival of Hasina, won a landslide victory in an election held under the Yunus administration. The Awami League was barred from contesting the polls.
The party’s exclusion from the election has further complicated its political future. With Hasina outside Bangladesh and several senior leaders facing arrest or living abroad, the organisation has struggled to operate in the changed political environment.
Hasina alleged that at least 20,000 Awami League members had been killed since August 2024. She also claimed that thousands had been arrested, tortured or forced into hiding, while supporters had lost their homes, businesses and livelihoods because of their political affiliations.
These figures and allegations were presented by Hasina in her response. They should be understood as her claims and not as independently established casualty or arrest figures.
“There is no normal political or democratic environment,” she said, accusing the authorities of systematically suppressing the Awami League.
The party’s continued ban and the cases against its leaders raise questions about whether it will be able to participate in Bangladesh’s political process in the coming years.
Hasina rejects need for foreign protection
Hasina was also asked whether she expected countries such as India and the United States to put pressure on Bangladesh to guarantee her safe return.
She said she was not seeking protection from foreign governments and maintained that returning to her country was her own decision.
“I value friendship and cooperation with all nations. That has always been our foreign policy. But I do not need the blessing of a foreign power to return to my own country,” she said.
Her comments come against the backdrop of strained political relations following her removal from office and the extradition requests made by Bangladesh. India has not agreed to hand her over, leaving her in the country while legal and diplomatic questions surrounding her status remain unresolved.
Hasina’s position suggests that she wants to present her proposed return as a matter of personal and political conviction rather than an action dependent on international intervention. However, her ability to enter Bangladesh without being detained remains uncertain.
Rights concerns and influence of hardline groups
Hasina also expressed concern about the political and social environment in Bangladesh, particularly what she described as the growing influence of hardline and extremist groups.
Rights groups and independent observers had previously raised concerns about the activities of radical organisations during the interim administration. Minority communities also reported intimidation and attacks. The Yunus-led government denied allegations of widespread wrongdoing, while the current administration has faced criticism over law and order and the protection of civil and political rights.
Several rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, have criticised the Rahman government over alleged assaults on civil and political freedoms in recent months. The government has maintained that arrests are linked to specific charges.
Hasina, who took a tough position against radical groups during her 15 years in power, said she believed the current political environment had given extremist elements greater confidence.
“The present political environment has allowed extremist elements to become more confident,” she said.
The press wing of the prime minister’s office did not respond to the request for comment on Hasina’s remarks.
Her comments reflect the continuing divisions in Bangladesh over the legacy of her government, the handling of the 2024 uprising and the political direction of the country under the new administration.
December return could create fresh political tensions
Hasina’s proposed return in December could create a significant test for Bangladesh’s political and legal institutions. She faces a death sentence, possible arrest and a party that remains excluded from electoral politics. At the same time, her supporters continue to face the consequences of the political transition, according to her account.
The authorities’ response to any attempt by Hasina to return would have implications for the country’s political climate and its handling of the cases arising from the 2024 unrest. It could also affect relations with India, where she has remained since leaving office.
For now, Hasina has not disclosed a travel plan or indicated whether she has received any assurances about her treatment after arrival. Her statement, however, makes clear that she continues to insist on returning despite the risks.
Whether she can make the journey in December, and what legal action she may face if she does, remains uncertain.