Sheikh Hasina, the ousted former prime minister of Bangladesh, has declared her intention to return to the country by December, even as she acknowledges the risk to her life. The 78-year-old, who fled to India in August 2024 after a student-led uprising ended her 15-year rule, said she is prepared for possible arrest, imprisonment or death upon return. In an email exchange with AFP, Hasina described the November Dhaka court verdict sentencing her to death for crimes against humanity as "political vengeance dressed up as law."
Hasina has been living in a secret location in India, where she claims she is being treated with respect and dignity. Indian authorities have not discussed extradition with her, she said, even as Bangladesh's government has formally requested her handover—a request New Delhi says is "under examination." Despite the legal threat and the dangers, Hasina insists her decision to return is self-driven, citing calls from her people. Relations between India and Bangladesh, initially strained after Hasina's fall, have improved since Prime Minister Tarique Rahman assumed office in February.
Hasina's public commitment to return, despite a death sentence and active extradition efforts, turns her defiance into a political act. Her return could test both Bangladesh's judicial claims and India's diplomatic stance on asylum. The outcome hinges on whether Dhaka enforces its verdict or treats it as a tool of political exclusion.
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