Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said she does not need the backing of any foreign country to return home. Her decision to return to Bangladesh from exile in India by December remains unchanged despite the possibility of arrest or death, Hasina said on Thursday.
Asked whether she expected countries such as the United States and India to put pressure on Bangladesh to ensure her safe return, the ousted leader said she was not seeking foreign protection.
“I value friendship and cooperation with all nations. That has always been our (Bangladesh's) foreign policy. But I do not need the blessing of a foreign power to return to my own country,” Hasina told news agency AP in an email interview.
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Hasina fled Bangladesh in August 2024 after a student-led uprising forced her out of power. She has been living in India ever since and has repeatedly expressed her intention to go back to Bangladesh in December, despite being sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi tribunal over the crackdown on protesters.
“If death is my destiny, I would rather die on the soil of my own country, among my own people,” she told AP. “So, I will return to Bangladesh. That decision has not changed.”
{{/usCountry}}“If death is my destiny, I would rather die on the soil of my own country, among my own people,” she told AP. “So, I will return to Bangladesh. That decision has not changed.”
{{/usCountry}}Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia in November 2025 for crimes against humanity over the deadly crackdown on student-led protests in July-August 2024. Nearly 1,400 people were killed during the violence, according to the United Nations. Hasina has denied wrongdoing, rejected the verdict and questioned the legitimacy of the trial.
Bangladesh has repeatedly sought her extradition, but India has not handed her over.
Hasina acknowledges risk of arrest, torture on return
Earlier this year in a virtual press conference from Delhi, Hasina acknowledged the risks involved in returning, saying she could be killed, arrested or tortured as soon as she landed in Bangladesh. "Now I have decided. Yes, I know. If I go back, the moment I will land they can kill me, or they can arrest me and torture me," she said.
She also thanked the Indian government and people for providing her shelter after she fled Bangladesh, saying she had not planned to leave her country.
In a September interview with HT, Hasina said that she intended to return by December and would announce the date, time and point of entry later.
"I have said I intend to return by December because Bangladesh’s political crisis cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely. I will announce the specific date, time and point of entry in due course," she said.
She also maintained that her return was not about regaining power but about standing with the people of Bangladesh.
"My decision to return is my own, and it is a matter of political discussion within my party," she said, adding that the timing of the return of other Awami League leaders living abroad would depend on consultations within the party and an assessment of the security situation.
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Hasina alleges persecution of Awami League members
In the HT interview, Hasina also accused the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government of continuing the persecution of Awami League leaders and workers, alleging that party members were being killed, arrested and targeted through criminal cases.
She claimed that more than 600 cases had been filed against her and described the judicial proceedings as politically motivated. She also alleged that party workers and their families had faced attacks, harassment and displacement.
Questioning the ban on the Awami League, Hasina said the party should be allowed to contest elections and let voters decide its political future. "Why did they ban the Awami League? If the Awami League has done a lot of bad things, let the people decide," she said.
Hasina also criticised the BNP government's reported plan to acquire Chinese J-10CE fighter jets under a $2.3-billion deal, questioning the spending at a time when Bangladesh was facing power and gas shortages, rising prices and economic difficulties.
She further raised concerns over the growing influence of extremist groups, warning that developments in Bangladesh could have implications for regional security and neighbouring countries.
(With inputs from Rezaul H Laskar)