Fugitive ex-Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina says she will return home this year
Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister of Bangladesh who fled to India after a student-led uprising in 2024, has stated in an interview that she plans to return to her country later this year. The 78-year-old has been living in exile in India since August 2024, following the end of her 15-year rule.
In an interview with Indian broadcaster NDTV published on Sunday, June 28, 2026, Hasina addressed her death sentence handed down by a Dhaka court in November 2025 for crimes against humanity. She described the verdict as “part of an illegal, unconstitutional and politically motivated process.”
“Many conspiracies have been hatched against me. But breaking through every web of conspiracy... I was elected prime minister five times by the people’s vote and worked for the country’s unprecedented development,” Hasina said. When asked if she would return despite the death penalty, she responded: “I want to say clearly: overcoming every obstacle and every conspiracy, I will return to my country this year.”
The former leader has not been seen in public since her flight to India, except for a rare speech broadcast to a packed press club in New Delhi in January. Her party, the Awami League, once one of the most popular in Bangladesh, has been outlawed.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have improved since Prime Minister Tarique Rahman won a landslide election victory in February. However, frictions remain, with Bangladesh repeatedly demanding the extradition of Hasina.
