Exiled Bangladesh Leader Hasina Vows Return Despite Death Sentence

New Delhi— Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she would return to Bangladesh “this year” despite being sentenced to death in absentia, according to an interview published on Sunday, reaffirming her intention to return nearly two years after fleeing the country following a mass uprising.

Speaking to Indian broadcaster NDTV, Hasina, 78, dismissed the death sentence against her as the outcome of what she described as an “illegal, unconstitutional and politically motivated process” and said she was not deterred by the prospect of execution.

“I want to say clearly: overcoming every obstacle and every conspiracy, I will return to my country this year,” Hasina said in response to a question about whether she would return despite the court’s ruling.

Hasina fled to neighboring India in August 2024 after a student-led uprising ended her 15-year tenure in office. Since leaving Bangladesh, she has largely remained out of public view, making only limited public appearances, including a speech broadcast to a gathering at a press club in New Delhi in January.

Last November, a court in Dhaka found Hasina guilty of incitement, ordering killings and failing to prevent atrocities, sentencing her to death in absentia. Bangladeshi authorities have also outlawed the activities of her former ruling Awami League, once one of the country’s dominant political parties.

In the interview, Hasina defended her years in office, saying she had been elected prime minister five times and had overseen what she described as unprecedented national development.

Relations between India and Bangladesh have improved since Prime Minister Tarique Rahman secured a landslide election victory in February. However, Bangladesh has continued to press India to extradite Hasina, keeping the issue a source of bilateral friction.