Sheikh Hasina says she will return to Bangladesh this year, calls death verdict 'Politically Motivated'

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has declared that she will return to Bangladesh "this year", nearly two years after being ousted from power and taking refuge in India, despite facing a death sentence handed down by a domestic tribunal. 

In an interview with NDTV, Hasina rejected the verdict against her, describing it as politically motivated and aimed at weakening her party, the Awami League.

"The verdict against me is not justice. It is part of an illegal, unconstitutional and politically motivated process. The judiciary has been turned into an instrument of political revenge to make the Awami League leaderless," she said. 

Expressing confidence about her return, Hasina said she had overcome several assassination attempts and political conspiracies throughout her career and would do so again.

"I do not fear death. In 1975, I lost my parents, my brothers and almost my entire family. On August 21, there was an attempt to kill me with grenades. But overcoming every obstacle and every conspiracy, I will return to my country this year," she said. 

Hasina has been living in India since August 2024, when she left Bangladesh following a student-led uprising that brought an end to her government. She was later sentenced to death in absentia by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal on charges of crimes against humanity, a verdict she continues to deny. 

Bangladesh's current government has maintained that if Hasina returns, she must do so through legal procedures. Authorities have previously stated that legal action against the former prime minister will continue in accordance with the country's judicial process. 

Her latest remarks come amid continuing political tensions in Bangladesh, where the Awami League remains under restrictions and the country's political landscape has undergone significant changes since her removal from office.