Ousted former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return to the country this year, dismissing the death sentence handed down against her in absentia as “illegal, unconstitutional and politically motivated.”
Hasina, 78, fled to India after a student-led uprising toppled her government in August 2024. In an interview with Indian broadcaster NDTV, she said she would overcome “every obstacle and every conspiracy” to return home despite the risk of arrest.
“I want to say clearly: overcoming every obstacle and every conspiracy, I will return to my country this year,” Hasina said, marking the first time she has publicly given a timeline for her return.
Last November, a court in Dhaka sentenced Hasina to death after convicting her of inciting and ordering killings and failing to prevent atrocities during the 2024 unrest.