Sheikh Hasina plans Bangladesh return in December despite death sentence

Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina plans to return to Bangladesh in December along with senior leaders of her Awami League to surrender voluntarily, Reuters reported.

This could mark a dramatic turn in the country's turbulent political landscape.

Hasina, who has been living in India since being ousted following a student-led uprising in August 2024, said she was prepared to face arrest, or even death, upon her return.

She is facing a death sentence handed down in absentia by a Bangladeshi court, a verdict she has rejected as politically motivated.

According to the news agency, the 78-year-old leader said she and senior Awami League colleagues intended to return together and surrender before the authorities. This was confirmed to The Tribune by one of her close aides.

She said the decision was aimed at allowing the people of Bangladesh to judge her government's record rather than leaving that task to political opponents.

Hasina, in the same interview, also accused the Bangladesh government of targeting the Awami League and said the party was rebuilding its organisation through virtual meetings across parliamentary constituencies despite restrictions on its activities.

Hasina fled to India after her government was toppled during mass protests in 2024. Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal later convicted her of ordering a deadly crackdown on demonstrators that reportedly left around 1400 people dead. She has consistently denied the allegations.

Her proposed return is expected to heighten political tensions in Bangladesh, where the Awami League remains under pressure following its removal from power. Reuters reported that neither the Bangladesh government nor the Indian government immediately commented on Hasina's latest announcement.