Ousted Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina vows to return despite threat
Bangladesh's ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return to her country despite facing a death sentence. “My decision to return to Bangladesh is not about personal desire or political ambition. It is about duty,” Hasina said. Hasina, 78, has lived in exile in India since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024 after a student-led uprising ended her 15-year rule. A special tribunal last year…
Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, has declared her intention to return to her homeland despite facing a death sentence. The 78-year-old leader, who has been living in exile in India since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024, stated that her decision is rooted in duty rather than personal ambition or desire. A special tribunal convicted her of crimes against humanity in connection with a deadly crackdown on protests during her rule, leading to her in absentia death sentence.
The UN estimates that around 1,400 people were killed during the violence. Hasina's Awami League party has been banned, and she is currently under several criminal investigations. Hasina emphasized that legal measures cannot intimidate her and denounced the death sentence as part of an illegal, unconstitutional, and politically motivated process.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which came to power in an election where Hasina's party was barred, has taken a firm stance on her return, suggesting she would likely be arrested immediately upon her arrival. The Bangladesh Law Minister stated that Hasina would probably face immediate arrest upon her return. In an interview with journalists in New Delhi, Hasina denied any pre-arranged meetings with the current government before announcing her intention to return, emphasizing her commitment to reconciliation and her return to Bangladesh in December.
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