Sheikh Hasina vows Bangladesh return despite death sentence

Ousted Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina says she wants to return from India by the end of 2026, despite facing a death sentence after a Dhaka trial found her guilty of crimes against humanity over the 2024 uprising that toppled her.

Hasina, 78, told AFP in July in an email from hiding that she knew she could be killed, arrested or jailed. “Still, I want to go back because my people are calling me,” she wrote.

She was due to address by telephone a New Delhi event on Wednesday marking two years since she fled by helicopter to India. Analysts cited by AFP said her stated plan could be aimed at keeping influence over supporters of her banned Awami League party and reclaiming political space.

Mohammad Jalal Uddin Sikder, a political science professor at North South University in Dhaka, said Hasina remained a symbol for the party and that her return could create political instability. Former senior Awami League member Mahmudur Rahman Manna, now a critic of Hasina, dismissed the return vow as self-serving.

Zahed Ur Rahman, an adviser to Bangladesh’s prime minister, said the government wanted Hasina back. “We are ready -- let her come, and we will ensure justice,” he told reporters.

Dhaka has repeatedly requested Hasina’s extradition. New Delhi has said the request is being examined through the legal process. India’s foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian government had no involvement in the New Delhi “homecoming” event and did not endorse any views that may be expressed there.