Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has pledged to return to Bangladesh by the end of the year despite facing a death sentence and the prospect of immediate arrest, marking her strongest commitment since being ousted during the 2024 student-led uprising.
Speaking via audio link from New Delhi at an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia, the 78-year-old said she was prepared to face imprisonment or death but would not remain away from her supporters.
Her remarks came two years after the end of her 15-year rule and amid renewed political divisions, protests in Bangladesh and continued diplomatic friction between Dhaka and New Delhi over her presence in India.
Hasina said she intended to return in December, describing it as Bangladesh's "month of victory," regardless of the consequences awaiting her.
She reiterated that she could be jailed or face verdicts she described as politically motivated but maintained that fear would not prevent her return.
Hasina also rejected widely accepted accounts of the 2024 uprising, arguing it was a coordinated effort to remove her government rather than a popular movement.
Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, said she continued to receive security and support from the Indian government during her stay in exile.
India, however, said it had no involvement in organizing the event and did not endorse any political views expressed there.
Bangladesh's government condemned Hasina's remarks and criticized India for allowing the event, saying it further strained bilateral relations while reiterating its request for her extradition.
The International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia in November after finding her guilty of crimes against humanity related to the 2024 crackdown, a verdict she rejects.
As she addressed the event, protesters in Dhaka burned her effigy, while an attack was reported on the ancestral home of former Bangladesh cricket captain and Awami League politician Shakib Al Hasan.
Supporters within the banned Awami League welcomed Hasina's declaration as a signal of renewed leadership, while government officials and figures linked to the 2024 uprising said she should face the country's judicial process if she returns.
Political analysts described the announcement as an effort to revive party morale but questioned whether it would alter Bangladesh's political landscape.