Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been sentenced to death in her country said on Friday that she plans to return to Bangladesh in December along with senior leaders of her Awami League party and surrender before the court, according to Reuters. Hasina said she and her party colleagues intend to return on their own and face the legal proceedings. The Awami League has been banned in Bangladesh.
Hasina was removed from power in 2024 after weeks of student-led protests swept across the country, leading to one of the biggest political crises in Bangladesh’s history. She had served as the country’s prime minister for about 20 years over multiple terms.
In November, Bangladesh’s war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death, accusing her of ordering a violent crackdown on the student protests. Hasina has rejected the allegations and has continued to deny any wrongdoing while living in exile.
She has been staying in India since August 5, 2024, after leaving Bangladesh during the anti-government protests. As the unrest turned violent, the country’s army chief reportedly advised her to leave the country for her safety.
‘If death comes, I want it to come on my own soil’
In a telephonic interview with Reuters that lasted nearly an hour, Hasina said she plans to return to Bangladesh around December along with senior leaders of the Awami League and surrender before the courts. The 78-year-old leader said she was aware of the risks involved. “They may arrest me when I return. They may even kill me,” she said.
Despite that, Hasina said she wanted to go back because, according to her, leaders and workers of the Awami League are facing severe repression. She added that if she has to die, she wants it to happen in her own country, where her parents are buried.
“Still, I have to go. My party leaders and workers are being subjected to tremendous repression. If death comes, I want it to come on my own soil, where my parents are buried and where their blood was shed,” Hasina added.
Although Hasina had earlier said she intended to return to Bangladesh, this is the first time she has publicly shared a possible timeline for her return and said that other senior Awami League leaders would also surrender with her.
She also claimed that the authorities in Dhaka have repeatedly asked India to send her back. However, she said she would return on her own.
According to Reuters, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who has also been sentenced to death, is among the senior Awami League leaders expected to return with Hasina.
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