Exiled Bangladesh leader says she’ll return despite threats

Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, has declared her intention to return to her home country despite facing a death sentence and numerous legal challenges. Speaking to Bloomberg News, Hasina, 78, stated that her decision to return is a matter of duty, not personal ambition or political gain. She described the current state of Bangladesh as being in economic distress and democratic decline, and emphasized her responsibility to help rescue the nation.

Hasina has been living in exile in India since August 2024, following a student-led uprising that ended her 15-year rule. A special tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia in 2023, convicting her of crimes against humanity during a crackdown on protests. The United Nations estimates that the violence resulted in approximately 1,400 deaths. The Bangladesh government has also banned her Awami League party and issued multiple additional criminal charges against her.

Despite these threats, Hasina remains defiant. She dismissed the death penalty as part of an "illegal, unconstitutional, and politically motivated process." She also criticized the false cases and staged trials that have been brought against her. Hasina has argued that her return to Bangladesh is not motivated by personal desire or political ambition, but rather a sense of duty to her country and its people.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Tarique Rahman, took office earlier this year after winning an election in which Hasina's party was barred from participating. The new government has taken a firm stance on Hasina's planned return, insisting that she will face justice if she returns from India. Bangladesh's Law Minister M. Asaduzzaman has stated that Hasina would likely be arrested immediately upon her return, even before she has the chance to surrender to a court.

Hasina herself has disputed the notion that she left Bangladesh by choice, claiming she had only "30 to 40 minutes" to evacuate her official residence as protesters approached. She said she did not know she was leaving the country until the moment she stepped out. Hasina prepared to flee to Tungipara, her ancestral hometown.

India, which has backed Hasina for years, has sought to reset ties with Bangladesh's new leadership since the change in government in Dhaka. However, Hasina has denied any back-channel discussions with the BNP-led government before her announcement of her intention to return. In her written response to Bloomberg News, she emphasized the need for reconciliation in Bangladesh and expressed her decision to be with her people in December, though she did not provide a specific date.