Former PM Hasina says she will return to Bangladesh in Dec

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced plans to return to her home country in December, despite facing a death sentence and the prospect of arrest, marking a significant political gambit two years after her ouster. The 78-year-old leader of the now-banned Awami League made the declaration in an audio address from New Delhi on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, stating she is prepared to face the judicial process upon her return.

Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia in November 2025 by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal for her role in a deadly crackdown on student-led protests in July and August 2024, which according to United Nations estimates resulted in approximately 1,400 deaths. She has consistently denied the charges, calling them fabricated and politically motivated. In her address, she framed her planned return as a duty to her supporters and a step toward national reconciliation.

The announcement has reignited tensions between Bangladesh and India, where Hasina has lived in exile since August 2024. The Bangladeshi government has repeatedly requested her extradition under a bilateral treaty, a request Indian officials say remains under...