Former Bangladesh PM Hasina to return in December surrender

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced plans to return from exile in India around December and voluntarily surrender to authorities, despite facing a death sentence and acknowledging the risk of arrest or assassination. The 78-year-old leader, who fled Bangladesh in 2024 after mass protests ended her two-decade rule, made the declaration in a telephone interview, marking the first time she has set a public timeline for her return.

Hasina stated that she and senior members of her banned Awami League party intend to return together. She said she is prepared for the potential consequences, emphasizing a desire to return to her homeland. She declined to specify an exact date or identify the court where she would surrender but insisted the move would be voluntary and not negotiated with any foreign government.

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia in November 2025 for allegedly ordering a deadly crackdown on the student-led protests that led to her ouster, charges she has consistently denied. She has characterized the legal proceedings as politically motivated and expressed belief that a public trial would expose what...