Sheikh Hasina insists on Bangladesh return in December despite facing execution

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has affirmed her intention to return to her home country from India in December, despite facing a death sentence handed down by a special tribunal.

Hasina, who governed Bangladesh from 2009 until her government fell during a 2024 uprising, conveyed her stance to The Associated Press in emailed responses. She acknowledged the severe risks awaiting her upon arrival, stating she is prepared for the prospect of arrest, imprisonment, or even death, emphasizing that she would rather die in her own country among her own people than watch them suffer from abroad.

The former leader sought refuge in India after a student-driven movement forced her resignation. A special tribunal in Bangladesh subsequently sentenced her to death on charges of crimes against humanity linked to a fatal crackdown on demonstrators, which a United Nations report estimated resulted in roughly 1,400 deaths. Hasina has repeatedly rejected the tribunal's jurisdiction and denied any wrongdoing.

Although authorities in Dhaka have consistently requested her extradition, Indian authorities have refused to hand her over. Hasina did not clarify the logistics or timeline of her planned travel across the border, nor did she request international intervention, remarking that she does not require foreign backing to return home.

Following Hasina's departure, an interim administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus governed Bangladesh for 18 months. National elections held under that caretaker framework brought Tarique Rahman to power in a decisive victory. Rahman is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and a longstanding political adversary of Hasina.

Hasina's Awami League was barred from taking part in the election and remains prohibited from political activities. The former leader claimed that tens of thousands of her party members have faced violence, detention, or displacement since her departure. Bangladesh's current administration maintains that ongoing detentions are tied to legitimate legal charges, though organizations such as Human Rights Watch have raised alarms regarding restrictions on civil liberties.

In response to reports of her travel plans, Bangladeshi Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir asserted that the government expects India to extradite Hasina under existing bilateral treaties, describing her as a fugitive.