Exiled Former Bangladesh PM Hasina Says Return Depends on ‘Participatory Democracy

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently in exile in India, has said her return to Dhaka will depend on the restoration of participatory democracy, lifting of the ban on the Awami League, and the conduct of free, fair, and inclusive elections.

In an exclusive email interview to PTI from an undisclosed location in India, Hasina expressed gratitude to the Indian government for providing her refuge, saying she was “immensely grateful to India’s government and its people for their kind hospitality.”

“The most important condition for my return to Bangladesh is the same condition that the Bangladeshi people require: a return to participatory democracy,” Hasina said. “The interim administration must rescind its ban on the Awami League and allow elections that are free, fair, and inclusive.”

Hasina, who resigned and left Bangladesh in August 2024 following weeks of violent protests, accused the unelected Yunus-led interim government of “endangering ties with India and empowering extremist forces.” She said the “broad and deep” relationship between Dhaka and New Delhi should be able to withstand what she called the “foolhardiness of the Yunus interlude.”

As Bangladesh prepares for national elections scheduled for February next year, Hasina rejected reports of calling for a boycott, asserting that any election excluding the Awami League “would lack legitimacy.” She also dismissed the ongoing legal proceedings against her as politically motivated, calling the tribunal a “kangaroo court” and said she was willing to face trial “under international supervision, even at the ICC.”

“The interim government doesn’t represent what our countrymen and women think,” she said. “India is and will remain our nation’s most important friend.”