Hasina will be executed if she returns, prosecutor says

Bangladeshi prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said Tuesday that ousted leader Sheikh Hasina would be executed if she returns to Bangladesh after being sentenced to death in absentia.

“Sheikh Hasina has no option but to face the execution of the verdict,” Islam told reporters, responding to reports that Hasina planned to return from self-imposed exile in India. He said the 79-year-old had missed the deadline to appeal against her conviction.

“The statutory appeal period has expired, and no appeal can now be filed,” he said.

A court in Dhaka sentenced Hasina to death in November 2025 after finding her guilty on three counts of crimes against humanity linked to a 2024 crackdown on protesters. The United Nations has said the crackdown left up to 1,400 people dead.

Hasina has repeatedly said she intends to return to Bangladesh in December. She told AFP she was “fully aware” she faced being hanged if she returned, but said “fear cannot decide” her “duty to the people.”

Bangladesh's foreign ministry has sought her extradition from India. India says the request is under legal review.

Police said Monday they had arrested 12 people over a series of petrol bomb attacks this month, including against property, an empty bus and police vehicles. Dhaka police spokesman Md Akhtar Hossain said the suspects were members of Hasina's banned Awami League party. Police said none of the attacks caused casualties.