Hasina Says She Plans December Return to Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina says she intends to return to Bangladesh from India in December, despite a death sentence and the possibility of arrest or imprisonment. The former prime minister made the statement in an email interview, saying her decision had not changed. She did not disclose how she would travel. Hasina said she knew she could be arrested, imprisoned, tortured or killed if she returned. She also said she did not seek foreign protection or need another country’s approval to go back. Her return remains a stated plan, not a completed event. A Bangladeshi special tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in 2025 for crimes against humanity related to the 2024 crackdown on protesters. The tribunal ruled that she was responsible for ordering the crackdown. Hasina denies wrongdoing, rejects the verdict and challenges the legitimacy of the trial. A United Nations report put the death toll during the violence at nearly 1,400. Hasina fled to India in August 2024 after student-led protests forced her from power. She served as prime minister from 2009 to 2024 and has remained in India since her departure. Bangladesh has repeatedly sought her extradition, but India has not handed her over. Her...