Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced that she plans to return to Bangladesh around December, despite saying she could be arrested or even killed upon arrival. Living in exile in India since being ousted in 2024, Hasina said she and senior leaders of the Awami League intend to voluntarily return and surrender before the courts.
In an exclusive interview with Reuters, the 78-year-old leader said she wanted to test whether Bangladesh would uphold the rule of law by ensuring a fair trial for its most prominent political opponents. "They may arrest me on my return, they may even kill me. Still, I have to go," Hasina said.
'I Want to Die on My Own Soil'
Expressing an emotional attachment to her homeland, Hasina said she wished to spend her final moments in Bangladesh, where her parents were buried and where they lost their lives.
"If death comes, I want it to come on my own soil, where my parents are buried and where their blood was shed," she said, adding that Awami League leaders and supporters continue to face severe repression in the country.
Political Crisis Continues
Hasina fled Bangladesh in 2024 after massive student-led protests brought an end to her two-decade rule. Following her departure, Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia in November over allegations that she ordered a deadly crackdown on protesters during the uprising.
Hasina has strongly denied the charges, calling them politically motivated. Her Awami League party has also been banned, deepening the country's political divide. Her proposed return is expected to become a major political flashpoint, with observers closely watching how Bangladesh's authorities respond to the former prime minister's decision to face the legal proceedings in person.