On exile anniversary, Sheikh Hasina to address press conference in Delhi, amid plans to return to Bangladesh
Sheikh Hasina, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, will address a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club in New Delhi on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 — exactly two years after she left Dhaka amid a mass uprising. The announcement comes at a time when Bangladesh's current Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, has been invited to attend the BRICS summit in India, though he has not yet confirmed his participation.
The press conference, set to be held virtually, will feature Ms. Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and former Education Minister of Bangladesh, Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, attending in person. According to Waiel Awwad, president of the Foreign Correspondents Club, the session will allow Ms. Hasina to address international media and announce her homecoming, as well as outline her vision for Bangladesh. Senior leaders of the Awami League and former ministers are expected to participate both in person and virtually, followed by an interactive Q&A.
Ms. Hasina, who has been based in India since August 5, 2024, recently gave interviews to global media outlets reflecting on her earlier exile between 1975 and 1981, following the assassination of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In her latest interview with AFP, she reiterated her intention to return to Bangladesh. "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," she said.
The announcement has drawn a response from the Bangladesh government. Ishraque Hossain, Deputy Minister for Liberation War Affairs in the BNP-led administration, dismissed her plans as a "political gimmick" aimed at boosting the morale of party workers. The Awami League, which Ms. Hasina led for decades, was banned from political activities by the interim government headed by Mohammed Yunus, which ruled from August 2024 to February 2026. The ban was later formalised through an amendment to an anti-terrorism law by the current BNP-dominated parliament in April 2026.
In a separate development, author and long-time critic of Ms. Hasina, Taslima Nasreen, expressed support for the former Prime Minister's right to return to politics. Speaking at a press conference in Kolkata on August 2, Ms. Nasreen urged "progressive people" in Bangladesh to pressure the government to lift the ban on the Awami League. She said, "The Yunus government's banning of the Awami League was absolutely not a right move. I want the ban on the Awami League lifted without delay. Its leaders and party workers should return to the country. Lots of Awami League leaders and workers have been killed." While criticising Ms. Hasina for her handling of religious fundamentalists during her tenure, Ms. Nasreen maintained that the ban on the party was unjust.
The upcoming press conference is expected to provide clarity on Ms. Hasina's plans and her vision for Bangladesh. It also sets the stage for a potential political confrontation, as the country prepares for the possibility of her return. The BRICS summit, scheduled for later this year, adds another layer of diplomatic significance to the evolving political situation in South Asia.
