Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Plans December Return

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced her intention to return to Bangladesh in December, nearly two years after she was ousted from power, despite acknowledging she faces the risk of imprisonment or death. Hasina made the declaration on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, during her first public media interaction since fleeing to India on August 5, 2024.

Speaking from New Delhi, the 78-year-old leader stated her return is driven by a sense of duty to the people and a desire to restore the country's development trajectory, not to reclaim political office. "My return is not about power. It is about putting Bangladesh back on the right track," she said. She added that she could not stay away while Bangladeshis were suffering, vowing to return regardless of personal consequences. "I may be sent to prison or be killed, but fear cannot decide my duty to the people," Hasina stated.

Her planned return comes amid significant legal jeopardy. In November 2025, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced Hasina to death in absentia, convicting her of crimes against humanity related to her government's handling of the 2024 protests. Bangladesh has since sought her extradition from...