Sheikh Hasina says she will return to Bangladesh despite death sentence

Sheikh Hasina vows to return to Bangladesh despite death sentence

Former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina announced she will return to Bangladesh in December despite being sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity, speaking from Delhi in an audio address to reporters.

Hasina, who denies the charges, was tried after she fled to India during the 2024 anti-government uprising. She told a packed press club in Delhi that she must go back, while declining to give exact dates or detailed plans.

Her conviction by a special tribunal in Dhaka last year found she ordered lethal force against protesters; prosecutors relied on an audio-recorded phone call that BBC verification says captured her authorising a deadly crackdown. UN investigators estimated up to 1,400 people were killed during the protests, most by security force gunfire.

The 78-year-old left Dhaka as demonstrators stormed government buildings and her official residence during mass unrest. An interim government took charge and later the Bangladesh Nationalist Party won elections, with Tarique Rahman now prime minister; his government has said it is examining an extradition request for Hasina and warned local media against broadcasting her comments.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The announcement underscores a direct challenge to the current Bangladeshi authorities, given Hasina’s in absentia death sentence and calls for her extradition. Her stated intention to return raises immediate legal and security implications based on the existing convictions and the reported scale of violence during the 2024 protests.

Awami League activities were banned after her departure and the party was barred from the February general election; party leaders report deaths of supporters in mob violence and custody, allegations rejected by Dhaka officials.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• Sheikh Hasina said she will return to Bangladesh in December despite a death sentence handed down in absentia.
• She denies the charges; prosecutors used an audio-recorded call as key evidence in her conviction for ordering deadly force during 2024 protests.
• UN investigators estimate up to 1,400 people were killed in the unrest that began as student-led protests and escalated into a mass uprising.