Hasina vows Bangladesh return despite death sentence

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says she plans to return to Bangladesh in December, a move that could lead to her immediate arrest after a court sentenced her to death for crimes against humanity over the 2024 crackdown that preceded her fall from power.

Hasina, 78, made the pledge from India during an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in Delhi, her first media appearance since she fled Bangladesh after a student-led uprising ended her 15 years in office. She did not give an exact date for her return.

“I know that they may put me in jail or they may kill me, anything may happen, but still I have to go back,” she said, according to the BBC. Al Jazeera quoted her as saying: “I may be detained, I may be sent to prison. But fear cannot decide my duty to the people. I cannot stay away while my beloved countrymen are suffering.”

Hasina has been living in India since leaving Dhaka by helicopter in 2024 as tens of thousands of protesters demonstrated and stormed government buildings, including her official residence. The protests began as a student-led movement against quotas in government jobs and grew into a mass uprising in the country of more than 170 million people.

A special tribunal in Dhaka later convicted her in absentia of crimes against humanity. Al Jazeera reported she was found guilty of incitement, ordering killings and failing to prevent atrocities, and was sentenced to hang. Hasina refused to attend the trial and has denied the charges, calling them politically motivated.

UN investigators found evidence that Hasina and her government tried to hold on to power through systematic, deadly violence. The UN estimates that up to 1,400 people were killed during the protests, most by gunfire from security forces. The BBC reported that audio it verified captured Hasina authorising a deadly crackdown on demonstrators, and that prosecutors used the recording as crucial evidence in her conviction.

During her address, Hasina alleged without providing evidence that several organisations had turned the 2024 student protests into a “violent movement.” She also called for a ban on her Awami League party to be lifted. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who appeared alongside her, said they were not in contact with the current Bangladeshi government, Al Jazeera reported.

Bangladesh is now led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which came to power after elections in February. His government had warned local media not to publish or broadcast Hasina’s comments. After the Delhi event, Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry said it was “outraged” that India had allowed her to take part in a public meeting with reporters.

“Our people have firmly resolved that our nation will never again go back to the dark days of fascism and that Bangladesh will never be a client state,” the ministry said.

Hasina’s presence in India has strained relations between New Delhi and Dhaka. Bangladesh has repeatedly requested her extradition, while India has said the request is being examined through legal channels. India’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal sought to distance the government from the Delhi event, saying, “The government has no involvement whatsoever in it, neither does it endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum.”

The Awami League has faced severe pressure since Hasina’s ouster. Its activities were banned, and it was barred from contesting the February election. Party leaders allege that hundreds of supporters have been killed in mob violence and dozens have died in security force custody. Dhaka officials reject accusations that Awami League supporters are being systematically targeted.

“If Ms Hasina doesn’t go back, the violence will continue and they will exterminate the Awami League,” Mohammad Ali Arafat, a former minister in her cabinet who is also overseas, told the BBC.

David Bergman, an analyst based in Dhaka, said Hasina would face immediate arrest if she returned. “It’s a huge risk for her personally,” he said.