Exiled PM Sheikh Hasina vows return to Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina vowed to return to Bangladesh despite facing a death penalty, telling supporters that fear could not decide her "duty to the people."

Ousted former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Wednesday that she plans to return to Bangladesh from exile in India in December. She faces a death sentence in Bangladesh over a deadly crackdown on widespread protesters in 2024.

Hasina spoke during a media event in New Delhi hosted by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia. It marked the second anniversary of the uprising that forced her out of power. It was her first time speaking to the media since she fled the country. While she had been expected to appear on video, she only delivered an audio message from behind a blank screen. 

It remains unclear why she chose not to show her face, since other Awami League leaders and her son, who had spoken earlier, had appeared on camera.

What did Sheikh Hasina say?

"I will return to my people," Hasina said. She added that she would share the exact date and details of her return at a later time. "I know that they may put me in jail, or they may kill me, or anything may happen, but still I have to go back," she said. "Fear cannot decide my duty to the people."

Hasina fled to India in 2024 after student-led protests ended her tenure as prime minister, a role she had held for a total of 20 years spread across two terms.

In 2025, a Bangladeshi court convicted her in absentia of crimes against humanity for her role in the violent crackdown on student-led protests in 2024. The United Nations said close to 1,400 people were killed. 

She was sentenced to death. Hasina denies the charges and calls the case politically motivated.

How has it impacted Bangladesh-India relations?

Relations between Bangladesh and its neighbor have been strained since Hasina fled there. Dhaka has repeatedly sought Hasina's extradition, while India said it had received the request and was reviewing it.

Bangladesh's foreign ministry criticized Wednesday's event, calling it an insult to the country's sovereignty. It said letting Hasina speak publicly to the press was "deeply hurtful" and that Bangladesh was "outraged." 

The government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had also warned local media a day earlier not to publish her remarks, citing a 2024 court order that prohibited the broadcasting or publication of her statements. As a result, no media outlets in Bangladesh covered the event, but it was shared widely on social media.

Rahman is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and a longtime rival of Hasina. He won power in a February election overseen by the country's interim government. Hasina's Awami League was barred from taking part in that vote.

Hasina calls charges politically motivated

During her address, Hasina also called on the government to lift its ban on her party and to free political prisoners, arguing that what began as protests over public job quotas turned into a coordinated effort to remove her government and undermine the constitution. 

She also claimed Bangladesh's economy had worsened since she left office, citing slower growth, weaker investment, and more than 20 million newly unemployed people.

As Hasina spoke to the media, protesters in Dhaka burned an effigy of her. August 5 marked two years since Hasina fled to India by helicopter after her government fell.

Also on Wednesday, Bangladesh inaugurated a new museum dedicated to the 2024 uprising. The July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum sits inside Hasina's former official residence in Dhaka. It includes audio and video displays, personal items belonging to victims, and newspaper clippings from the time, along with material documenting alleged abuses during Hasina's years in power. 

The museum was launched under the interim government of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who took office three days after Hasina's removal. Yunus attended Wednesday's opening alongside Rahman.

Bangladesh and India recently signaled interest in improving ties, but Bangladesh's foreign ministry said allowing Hasina to speak to the press would hurt that relationship.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar

Don't let the algorithm hide the news. If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google by clicking here and hitting the "star" or "preferred" button, so you'll always see our verified news first.