Ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said she will return to Bangladesh this year despite a death sentence handed down in absentia, rejecting the ruling as “illegal, unconstitutional and politically motivated.”
The 78-year-old, who fled to India after a student-led uprising toppled her government in August 2024, made the remarks in an interview with Indian broadcaster NDTV. It is the first time she has publicly given a timeline for her return.
“I want to say clearly: overcoming every obstacle and every conspiracy, I will return to my country this year,” Hasina said when asked whether she would return despite the death sentence.
Rejects Court Verdict
Last November, a court in Dhaka sentenced Hasina to death after convicting her of inciting and ordering killings, as well as failing to prevent atrocities during the 2024 unrest.
Rejecting the verdict, Hasina accused Bangladesh’s judiciary of being turned into “an instrument of political revenge” aimed at eliminating the leadership of her Awami League party.
“I do not fear death,” she said, arguing that previous attempts to dismantle her party had failed and would fail again.
Calls for Restoration of Democracy
Hasina said her planned return was not motivated by personal ambition but by what she described as a mission to restore political rights, democracy, the rule of law and the ideals of Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War.
She insisted that the Awami League remained firmly rooted in the country despite a ban on its activities.
“The Awami League is not a paper organisation but a political force rooted in the soil of Bengal, in the people of Bengal, in the history of Bengal and in the identity of the Bengali nation,” she said.
Appeal to the Government
Hasina also urged the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to restore what she described as a proper democratic environment.
She called for the ban on the Awami League to be lifted, what she described as false cases against party leaders to be withdrawn, political prisoners to be released and peaceful political activities to be allowed.
The restrictions on the Awami League, first introduced by the previous interim administration, remain in force under Rahman’s government, which took office after the February elections.
Government Defends Legal Action
The Bangladeshi government has defended the legal proceedings against Hasina, saying they form part of broader efforts to ensure accountability for alleged crimes committed during the final months of her administration.
(with inputs from Reuters)
