Sheikh Hasina Announces Return to Bangladesh This Year Despite Death Sentence

Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has announced her intention to return to her home country this year despite being sentenced to death. She has been residing in India for nearly two years. The 78-year-old Hasina, who was handed the death penalty in a case related to crimes against humanity, was declared a fugitive by the Bangladeshi government. She left Bangladesh for India following the August 2024 uprising that ended her 15-year rule led by a student-driven popular movement.

In an interview with Indian television channel NDTV, Hasina stated that she fears no death sentence. She claimed the verdict against her was illegal, unconstitutional, and politically motivated. “Numerous conspiracies were hatched against me, but overcoming each of them, I was elected prime minister five times by the people’s vote and worked for unprecedented development of the country,” she said.

In November of last year, a court in Dhaka sentenced Hasina to death on charges of inciting violence, ordering killings, and failing to prevent atrocities. Meanwhile, her party, the Awami League, has also been banned. To improve relations between India and Bangladesh, India has decided to resume tourist visa services for Bangladeshi citizens.

India’s new High Commissioner to Dhaka, Dinesh Trivedi, announced on June 25 that tourist visa processing would restart from June 28. He expressed hope that this would further strengthen relations between the two sovereign nations. Sheikh Hasina’s public declaration to return to Bangladesh and India’s decision to reinstate tourist visas for Bangladeshi nationals are viewed as significant developments in South Asian politics and the India-Bangladesh relationship.