Exiled Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina Vows to Return to Bangladesh, Fears for Her Life

Bangladesh's ousted former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has declared her intention to return to her country by December, despite believing she faces potential arrest or even death. In an emailed response to questions from the AFP news agency, the 78-year-old said, "I may be killed. I may be arrested. I may be sent to prison. I am fully aware of my fate. Still, I want to go back because my people are calling me."

Hasina was toppled in August 2024 by a student-led uprising that ended her 15-year, iron-fisted rule. She fled by helicopter to India as crowds surrounded her palace. The United Nations reports that up to 1,400 people were killed in crackdowns as she tried to cling to power.

In November, a Dhaka court found Hasina guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced her to death by hanging. She described the verdict as "political vengeance dressed up as law."

Since her ouster, Hasina has been living at an undisclosed location in India. She insisted there was no pressure for her to return. Relations between India and Bangladesh, strained under the interim government that took power after her fall, have stabilised since Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman assumed office in February 2025.

Dhaka has formally requested Hasina's extradition, a request New Delhi has said is "under examination." However, Hasina stated that the extradition issue had "no connection" with her decision to return. "I can say that I am staying in India with due respect and dignity," she said. "Indian authorities have not discussed extradition with me. I myself have decided to return to my country."

Rights groups have long accused Hasina's administration of abuses including the murder of rivals, suppression of opposition parties, rigged courts, and one-sided elections. Hasina defended her record, describing many allegations as "politically constructed campaigns." She said, "Every time allegations were made, investigations were opened, and those involved in crimes were brought to justice."

Regarding the student protests that led to her ouster, Hasina dismissed allegations that she sanctioned excessive force. "My government showed the highest level of patience and tried to guide the student movement towards a peaceful solution," she said. She characterised the uprising as more than "merely an ordinary student protest," calling it "a planned operation driven by hidden instructions, organised violence, propaganda and the objective of overthrowing the government."

Hasina declined to comment on recent youth-led protests in India that forced the education minister to resign. Asked about her plans to resume political activity upon her return—with her Awami League party effectively banned in Bangladesh—she did not give a direct answer, saying, "Power is not my destination. Service to the people is."

Hasina expressed sympathy for families who lost loved ones during the uprising but stopped short of apologising. She also avoided questions about whether she regretted any decisions during the crisis, stating, "Decisions of state are not made by one person alone, and they cannot be judged honestly by isolating one moment from the whole crisis."