Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said she intends to return to Bangladesh around December, even though she faces a death sentence and fears for her life. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Reuters, the exiled Awami League leader said she plans to return voluntarily and surrender before the courts along with other senior leaders of her party.
Hasina, 78, has been living in India since leaving Bangladesh in 2024 after mass protests brought an end to her long tenure in power. She was later sentenced to death in absentia by Bangladesh’s war crimes court over allegations linked to the deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising. She has consistently denied the charges.
‘They may arrest me, they may even kill me’
Explaining why she still wants to return, Hasina acknowledged the risks awaiting her in Bangladesh.
“They may arrest me on my return, they may even kill me,” Hasina said during the nearly hour-long telephone interview.
“Still, I have to go,” she added. “My party leaders and workers are being subjected to tremendous repression. If death comes, I want it to come on my own soil, where my parents are buried and where their blood was shed.”
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Hasina said she has not approached any foreign government regarding her planned return. According to her, the decision has been taken independently.
Awami League leaders also plan to surrender
The former prime minister revealed that several senior Awami League leaders living in exile are also preparing to return and surrender in court. Among them is former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who has also been sentenced to death.
“The authorities in Dhaka want to take me back, they are repeatedly sending letters to India seeking to have me sent back,” she said. “I will go myself.”
#WATCH | Awami League leader Mohibul Chowdhury confirms he will be among the leaders returning to Bangladesh alongside former PM Sheikh Hasina
— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2026
He says, "The majority of our leaders are inside the country. More than 140 MPs are in jail. Our local chairman, municipal mayors are… pic.twitter.com/VIRL4euNSa
She did not specify the exact date of her return or identify the court where she plans to surrender.
Hasina questions cases qgainst Awami League
Hasina claimed that large numbers of Awami League leaders and workers are facing legal action following the fall of her government.
“Cases have been filed against almost all of our leaders and workers, and many of them are in hiding,” she said. “So I said that this time I am returning home, and one day, all of you should come. All together, we will all surrender in court.”
She also said she has not held discussions with Bangladesh’s current authorities about her return.
“Democracy, voting rights, the political rights of the Awami League and justice are not subjects for secret talks.”
‘I believe in justice’
Hasina said she is prepared to face legal proceedings and is not worried about being jailed, noting that she has been arrested multiple times in the past.
“I believe in justice and I feel that once proceedings start, it will be clear to the people how farcical the court is and that I want to prove it.”
Reflecting on her years in office, she acknowledged that governments can make mistakes but maintained that voters should decide their legacy.
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“When a government works for a long time, mistakes can happen, no government is above error,” she said. “But the right to judge the good and bad, the right and wrong of a government belongs to the people. I leave that judgment to the people.”
Hasina also said she has been conducting online meetings across 125 of Bangladesh’s 300 parliamentary constituencies to reorganise the Awami League.
“They may have convicted me, and I may not be able to contest elections,” she said. “But why should they suspend the Awami League? If we have done badly, let the people decide.”
FAQs:
Why is Sheikh Hasina returning to Bangladesh despite facing a death sentence?
Sheikh Hasina says she wants to surrender voluntarily, face the legal process, and return to the country where her parents are buried.
When will Sheikh Hasina return to Bangladesh?
Sheikh Hasina said she plans to return around December but has not announced a specific date for her arrival or court surrender.