In tears, Sheikh Hasina vows to return to Bangladesh at any cost
In a highly emotional and politically charged address from New Delhi on Wednesday, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed to return to Dhaka in December at any cost, declaring that neither imprisonment nor the threat of execution would deter her.
“My return is not about power. It’s about putting Bangladesh back on the path of development, secularism and prosperity,” the 78-year-old Awami League leader said. “I know they may put me in jail or kill me, but I will go back home to be with my people.”
Speaking virtually at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi in her first media interaction since fleeing Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, Hasina broke down during the press conference as she appealed to supporters living both inside and outside Bangladesh to stand united. “Fear can’t stop us,” she said through tears, adding that she would return home even if it meant facing arrest or a death sentence.
Hasina, who has been living in India since leaving Dhaka following the collapse of her Government amid the violent 2024 political unrest, asserted that her decision to return was final. “I have decided to go and I will go to Bangladesh,” she said.
The former PM was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Dhaka last November over alleged crimes against humanity linked to her Government’s crackdown on the student-led protests of 2024. The current Government in Bangladesh have since urged New Delhi to extradite her to face trial.
During the interaction, Hasina described the present situation in Bangladesh as “deeply disturbing,” alleging that fear had gripped homes, workplaces and educational institutions across the country.
“Fear has entered homes, workplaces and educational campuses; this is not the Bangladesh we built,” she said. Calling for international attention, she urged the global community to stand with the people of Bangladesh in their struggle for democracy and justice.
Hasina also rejected the narrative surrounding the protests that led to her ouster, claiming they were not a peaceful student movement but were orchestrated by organised political groups that transformed the demonstrations into a violent campaign.
“I was forced away from my country, but I am never separated from my people,” she said.
Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who joined the press conference along with Awami League leaders and party workers, alleged that political violence had become institutionalised in Bangladesh since August 2024.
“Bangladesh, today, is a failed state. There is no law and order in the country,” Joy claimed. He further alleged that the situation should concern India because “Bangladesh has become another Pakistan on India’s eastern border.”
Hasina also expressed gratitude to India for providing her refuge after her departure from Dhaka.
“India has always been a great friend of Bangladesh,” she said, acknowledging New Delhi’s support during her exile.
Her announcement is expected to intensify political tensions in Bangladesh, where the prospect of her return could trigger a fresh confrontation between the former prime minister’s supporters and the country’s current authorities.
With Dhaka seeking her extradition and Hasina publicly declaring her intent to return regardless of the consequences, the coming months are likely to be closely watched across South Asia.
