Sheikh Hasina Vows Return to Bangladesh Despite Death Sentence

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced her determination to return to Bangladesh by December 2026, despite a death sentence issued in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal in November 2025. Hasina has resided in India since August 2024, when she fled following a student-led uprising that ended her 15-year rule. She stated she is aware of her fate but wishes to return because her people are calling her.

The current government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has formally requested her extradition from India. Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman stated that Hasina would likely be arrested immediately upon entering the territory, potentially before she could surrender to a court. He emphasized that as a death-row convict, the law would take its own course upon her arrival.

The Government of India informed a parliamentary standing committee that the extradition request is under legal consideration by competent authorities. Indian officials noted that Hasina's stay is guided by humanitarian traditions and that she has not been provided a political platform while in exile. Hasina has characterized the legal proceedings against her as politically motivated campaigns.