Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s ousted prime minister, said she plans to return from exile in India around December with senior members of her banned Awami League and surrender before a court. In a telephone interview, Hasina said she had not consulted foreign governments on the timing of a return and did not specify a date, the court involved or which colleagues would accompany her.
Hasina fled Bangladesh in 2024 after protests ended her time in office. A Bangladeshi war-crimes court later sentenced her to death in absentia over allegations that she ordered a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising. Hasina denies the charges. A United Nations report said the crackdown that preceded her departure killed as many as 1,400 people.
Her proposed voluntary return would test how Bangladesh handles one of its most prominent political opponents after two years of upheaval. Hasina said Awami League leaders and workers had faced cases, arrests and attacks since her government was toppled, and called for the party’s suspension to be lifted. She said she has held online meetings in 125 of Bangladesh’s 300 parliamentary constituencies as part of efforts to reorganize the party.
The plan also comes amid strained relations between Dhaka and New Delhi. Bangladesh has repeatedly requested Hasina’s extradition after India provided her refuge, while India said in April that it was examining the request and sought to engage constructively with Bangladesh’s new government. Bangladesh government spokespeople and India’s foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment on Hasina’s stated plan.
