Hasina vows to return to Bangladesh from India in December

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stated she will return to Bangladesh from India in December, despite facing a death sentence for her government's handling of protests.

The sentence was handed down by a Bangladeshi special tribunal in 2025, which ruled she was responsible for ordering a crackdown that left hundreds dead and thousands injured.

Hasina, who fled to India after being ousted in 2024, has rejected the tribunal's verdict and claimed the trial was illegitimate.

India has not agreed to hand her over to Bangladesh, which has continued to demand her extradition. Hasina first announced her intention to return in August.

In a response to questions submitted last week, Hasina said she would return to Bangladesh regardless of the risks, including possible arrest, imprisonment, or even death.

She expressed concern over the suffering of her people and stated she could not live with the knowledge of their hardship from a distance.

Following her ouster, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus led an interim administration, which later handed power to Tarique Rahman in a 2025 election.

Rahman, a political rival of Hasina, won a landslide victory, while Hasina’s party was barred from participating in the vote.

Hasina’s return is occurring amid a crackdown on her party, which remains banned, with senior members arrested or in exile.

She reported that at least 20 party members have been killed since August 2024, and thousands have been arrested, tortured, or forced into hiding.

Hasina accused the current authorities of suppressing her party and creating an environment devoid of democratic norms.

Rights groups have criticized Rahman’s government for restricting civil and political rights, though the government claims arrests are based on specific charges.