Sheikh Hasina: ‘May be arrested or killed, but will return to Bangladesh by December

DHAKA: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, who was sentenced to death in absentia, said Friday she and party colleagues plan to “voluntarily” return to Dhaka around December to face trial.

“They may arrest me on my return, they may even kill me,” the 78-year-old told Reuters. “Still, I have to go.

“This is the second time Hasina has announced her intent to return from India, where she fled in 2024 amid violent protests that forced her out of office.

Sources in the Tarique Rahman-led BNP government played down her statement, saying whether she is extradited or returns on her own, she will face trial. Government officials also cited her recent interviews, including one to NDTV on June 29, and said she faces multiple cases, including charges of crimes against humanity for which she was sentenced to death.

Hasina’s return could also ease pressure on the BNP government, which has been accused by opponents of not pushing hard enough for her extradition. It may also help reduce friction in ties with New Delhi, which pro-Pakistan and Islamist groups have used to stoke anti-India sentiment.

A former Hasina cabinet member, also in exile, told TOI that “public perception has shifted” and that “inclusive politics” was now gaining consensus in Bangladesh — a strength for the Awami League. But her return carries serious risks. NCP MP Nahid Islam, chief whip of the opposition and an ally of Jamaat-e-Islami, said: “We want that person to return, so that the death sentence can be carried out.”Hasina said she was prepared for the worst: “If death comes, I want it to come on my own soil, where my parents are buried and where their blood was shed.”