If Death Is My Destiny, I’d Die In My Country: Hasina Vows To Return To Bangladesh Next Month

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return to Bangladesh from exile in India in December, saying she is prepared to face arrest, imprisonment, torture or even death. Despite being sentenced to death for crimes against humanity over the 2024 crackdown on protesters, Hasina said her decision to return remained unchanged.

“If death is my destiny, I would rather die on the soil of my own country, among my own people. So, I will return to Bangladesh. That decision has not changed,” Hasina told The Associated Press (AP) in an email interview. She did not disclose how she planned to return or specify a date.

Hasina, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2024, fled to India on August 5, 2024, after a student-led uprising forced her from power. The protests, initially triggered by opposition to a government job quota system, escalated into a nationwide movement that brought an end to her 15-year rule.

In November 2025, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for crimes against humanity, holding her responsible for ordering the crackdown. A United Nations report estimated that nearly 1,400 people were killed during the unrest. Hasina has denied wrongdoing, rejected the verdict and challenged the legitimacy of the trial. Bangladesh has repeatedly sought her extradition, but India has not handed her over.

“I know that I may be arrested when I return. I may be imprisoned, tortured or even killed,” she told the AP, adding that she could not watch her supporters suffer from abroad.

After Hasina's ouster, Muhammad Yunus led an interim administration for 18 months. In February 2026, Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, came to power following a landslide election. Hasina's Awami League was barred from contesting and remains banned, with senior leaders arrested or forced into exile.

Hasina alleged that at least 20,000 Awami League members had been killed since August 2024, while thousands more had been arrested, tortured or forced into hiding. She also claimed supporters had lost homes, businesses and livelihoods. “There is no normal political or democratic environment,” she said, accusing authorities of suppressing her party.

She also warned that extremist groups had gained confidence. Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, have criticised restrictions on civil and political freedoms under Rahman's government, which says arrests involve specific charges.

Hasina said she was not seeking foreign protection from India or the United States, adding that she did not need another country's blessing to return home.