Hasina Says She Plans to Return to Bangladesh in December

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she intends to return to Bangladesh in December 2026, despite saying she could face arrest, torture or death if she goes back. Her remarks at a virtual event in Washington on October 19 restated a plan she had previously announced, but she gave no specific arrival date. Hasina spoke by video at an event hosted by the Center for US-Bangladesh Relations. Asked when she would return, she said December and described going back as her responsibility. She has been living in India since leaving Bangladesh in August 2024, when student-led protests brought down her government. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, told journalists that no date had been fixed and that an announcement would come closer to the time. The December plan therefore remains an intention rather than a confirmed travel arrangement. Hasina’s proposed return comes amid a serious legal case against her in Bangladesh. The International Crimes Tribunal convicted her of crimes against humanity over the 2024 protest crackdown and sentenced her to death in absentia on November 17, 2025. Hasina denies the charges and has described the proceedings as politically motivated....