Sheikh Hasina Says She Is Ready to Return to Bangladesh Despite Threats to Her Life
Former Bangladesh PM says she could face arrest, torture or death upon return; reiterates intention to return by December
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said she was ready to return to her country despite the risks to her life, including the possibility of being killed, arrested or tortured.
Speaking during a virtual press conference, Hasina said she had faced threats in the past but remained undeterred. “If I go back, the moment I land, they can kill me, or they can arrest me and torture me,” she said.
Her remarks came weeks after she expressed her intention to return to Bangladesh on her own by December. However, she did not specify a date for her return during the latest interaction.
Hasina’s statement comes after a tribunal in Bangladesh convicted her of crimes against humanity in connection with the 2024 student movement. The Awami League chief was also convicted in absentia over allegations of incitement to mass killings and authorising the use of lethal force during the violent crackdown on protesters. She was sentenced to death.
Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, was present during the virtual press conference. Criticising the government led by Tarique Rahman, Joy alleged that extrajudicial killings and the imprisonment of Awami League leaders had continued since his mother’s ouster.
Hasina has been living in India since August 2024, following the ouster of her government after student-led protests in Bangladesh.
During the virtual press conference, she thanked the Indian government and people for providing her shelter.
“I was not prepared to leave my country, but somehow I reached here. I thank the Indian government and the people here,” she said.
She also alleged that more than 600 cases had been filed against her, while those she accused of being responsible for crimes had been granted immunity by Bangladesh’s interim government.
In August this year, Hasina held her first press conference in Delhi since leaving Bangladesh, at an event organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia. She said that although she had been forced to leave the country in 2024, she had never been separated from her people.
When asked about her expected return during that interaction, she said she would disclose the details when the time came.
In her first telephone interview with Indian media outlet Hindustan Times_after her ouster, Hasina alleged that Awami League leaders were facing persecution and torture in Bangladesh.
In the interview in September, she reiterated her intention to return by December, saying Bangladesh’s political crisis could not be allowed to continue indefinitely. She added that she would announce the specific date, time and point of entry in due course.
