Despite the risk of the death penalty, Sheikh Hasina announces her return to Bangladesh in December.

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced her intention to return to Bangladesh in December, despite being sentenced to death in absentia. In an exclusive interview with Reuters, the former head of government said she plans to return from exile in India with several leaders of her party to surrender voluntarily to authorities and face trial.

Seventy-eight-year-old Sheikh Hasina says she is aware of the risks she faces. “They could arrest me when I return, they could even kill me. Yet I have to go,” she declared. She explains that she wants to return to her country despite the danger, stating that she wishes to die in her homeland, where her parents are buried, if that is her fate.

The leader of the Awami League, the party currently banned in Bangladesh, indicated that she and her associates would voluntarily appear in court. She also hopes to have the ban on her political organization lifted. According to her statements, no discussions have yet taken place with the authorities in Dhaka regarding this planned return.

Sheikh Hasina left Bangladesh in 2024 after protests brought an end to her 20-year tenure as prime minister, spanning multiple terms. In November of that year, a war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia, accusing her of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student movement. From exile, she has denied all the charges against her.

A potential return of the former leader could reignite the deep political divisions plaguing Bangladesh, as the government attempts to stabilize the country after two years of crisis. This decision could also strain relations between Dhaka and New Delhi, which have deteriorated significantly since India granted Sheikh Hasina asylum.

Bangladesh has been requesting the extradition of the former Prime Minister for several months. Her voluntary return would constitute a major turning point in the political crisis gripping the country and would test the authorities' treatment of their main political opponent.