Photo: Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stated she will voluntarily return to Bangladesh to face the courts.

BREAKING NEWS: Sheikh Hasina Plans December Return to Bangladesh Amid Legal Challenges

Political Desk | GenZ Frontier | July 10, 2026

NEW DELHI / DHAKA — In a stunning political development, ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced that she and senior members of the Awami League plan to return to Bangladesh from exile in India around December 2026.

Speaking in a nearly hour-long exclusive telephone interview with Reuters late Thursday and into Friday, the 78-year-old former premier revealed her intention to voluntarily surrender to the courts. This marks her first direct interview since fleeing the country two years ago, establishing a concrete timetable for her return to a nation where she currently faces a death sentence and where her party's activities have been suspended.

"I Want Death to Come on My Own Soil"

Hasina’s decision to return is fraught with immense personal and political risk. In November, a Bangladeshi war crimes court sentenced her to death in absentia for her role in ordering a deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising that ultimately ended her two-decade rule in 2024. According to a United Nations report, the unrest and subsequent crackdowns resulted in the deaths of as many as 1,400 people.

Despite these severe charges—which she has vehemently denied from exile—Hasina stated that she is compelled to return out of duty to her party and a desire to face justice on her own terms.

"They may arrest me on my return, they may even kill me," Hasina said during the interview. "Still, I have to go. My party leaders and workers are being subjected to tremendous repression. If death comes, I want it to come on my own soil, where my parents are buried and where their blood was shed."

Hasina emphasized that her return is a personal decision and that she has not consulted with any foreign governments, including India, regarding the exact timing or logistics.

"The authorities in Dhaka want to take me back; they are repeatedly sending letters to India seeking to have me sent back," she noted. "I will go myself."

A Coordinated Surrender by Awami League Leaders

Hasina will not be returning alone. She indicated that a coordinated effort is underway for senior exiled Awami League colleagues to join her in presenting themselves to the Bangladeshi judicial system.

"Cases have been filed against almost all of our leaders and workers, and many of them are in hiding," she explained from her residence in Delhi. "So I said that this time I am returning home, and one day, all of you should come. All together, we will all surrender in court."

Among the senior figures facing extreme legal jeopardy is former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who has also been sentenced to death. While Hasina confirmed the collective plan to surrender, she declined to specify an exact date in December or identify which specific court they would present themselves to.

Geopolitical Implications: Dhaka and New Delhi

Hasina’s sudden flight to India in 2024 severely strained the traditionally strong bilateral ties between New Delhi and Dhaka. The current Bangladeshi government has repeatedly urged India to extradite the former Prime Minister to face trial.

In April, India's foreign ministry stated it was formally examining Bangladesh's extradition request while simultaneously seeking to "engage constructively with the new government and further strengthen bilateral ties."

A voluntary return by Hasina could potentially alleviate this diplomatic headache for New Delhi. For Dhaka, however, her arrival threatens to sharply heighten political divisions. The current administration has spent the last two years attempting to restore stability to the garment-export powerhouse, and the spectacle of Hasina's arrest and trial could ignite fresh waves of political turbulence.

Representatives for both the Bangladesh government and India's foreign ministry have not yet issued official comments regarding Hasina's latest remarks.

Rebuilding from Exile and Acknowledging "Mistakes"

Since her government was toppled, the Awami League has faced an existential crisis, with workers and officials subjected to arrests, legal battles, and physical attacks. Furthermore, the party's activities have been heavily restricted.

Despite this, Hasina claims she is actively working to reorganize the political machine she led for decades. She revealed that she has been conducting online meetings covering 125 of Bangladesh's 300 parliamentary constituencies.

Addressing the ban on her party, she struck a defiant tone, arguing that the ultimate judgment of a political entity should lie with the electorate, not the courts.

"When a government works for a long time, mistakes can happen. No government is above error," Hasina conceded. "But the right to judge the good and bad, the right and wrong of a government belongs to the people. I leave that judgment to the people."

She added: "They may have convicted me, and I may not be able to contest elections. But why should they suspend the Awami League? If we have done badly, let the people decide."

Hasina dismissed concerns about potential imprisonment, pointing to her long history of political detention. Following the assassination of her father—the nation's independence leader—and much of her family in a military coup, she returned from exile in 1981. She was repeatedly detained during campaigns against military rule and was jailed again in 2007 by a military-backed caretaker government on corruption charges before winning a landslide election in 2008.

"Democracy, voting rights, the political rights of the Awami League, and justice are not subjects for secret talks," she stated, confirming she has had no back-channel communications with the current government in Dhaka.

As December approaches, the nation—and the region—braces for what could be the most significant political event in Bangladesh since the 2024 uprising. They may arrest me on my return, they may even kill me," Hasina, 78, said in the nearly hour-long telephone interview late on Thursday and into Friday.

Still, I have to go," she said. "My party leaders and workers are being subjected to tremendous repression. If death comes, I want it to come on my own soil, where my parents are buried and where their blood was shed."

Hasina fled Bangladesh in 2024 after protests ended her 20 years as prime minister across multiple terms. The country's war crimes court sentenced her in November to death in her absence for ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising. She has denied the charges from exile.

A return could sharpen political divisions in the garment-export powerhouse as the government in Dhaka seeks to restore stability after two years of upheaval. On the other hand, it could improve strained ties with India, which deteriorated sharply after New Delhi gave her refuge.

Bangladesh has repeatedly urged India to extradite her.

Hasina, who has fielded written questions from news outlets but not previously given an interview during her exile, said she has not consulted with any foreign government on whether or when to return. This is the first time she has set out a timetable for her return, said she plans to surrender, or said other exiled Awami League leaders would do so. Among them, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal also faces a death sentence. Reuters could not contact the other party members or establish where they were.

"The authorities in Dhaka want to take me back; they are repeatedly sending letters to India seeking to have me sent back," she said. "I will go myself."

Spokespeople for the Bangladesh government did not respond to requests for comment on Hasina's remarks.

India's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. In April, the ministry said it was examining Bangladesh's request to extradite her and that it wanted to "engage constructively with the new government and further strengthen bilateral ties".

Hasina was a dominant figure in Bangladesh for half a century after being thrust into the spotlight by the assassination of her father, an independence leader, and much of her family in a military coup.

The crackdown that led to her downfall killed as many as 1,400 people, according to a UN report.

Cases have been filed against almost all of our leaders and workers, and many of them are in hiding," Hasina told Reuters from her exile home in Delhi. "So I said that this time I am returning home, and one day, all of you should come. All together, we will all surrender in court."

She declined to give a date for her return or say exactly when she would surrender or to what court.

Many Awami League workers have faced arrest, legal cases and physical attacks since her government was toppled, according to media reports and government officials.

Hasina said she had not been in touch with Dhaka over her plans to return. "Democracy, voting rights, the political rights of the Awami League and justice are not subjects for secret talks."

She said she was not worried about jail time, noting that she had been arrested several times before.

After returning from exile in 1981 following her father's assassination, she was detained repeatedly during campaigns against military rule. She was jailed again in 2007 by a military-backed caretaker government on corruption charges before being freed and winning elections in 2008.

Leading her to flee this time, she said, were threats on her life as crowds advanced towards her residence.

"When a government works for a long time, mistakes can happen. No government is above error," she said. "But the right to judge the good and bad, the right and wrong of a government belongs to the people. I leave that judgment to the people."

Hasina said she has held online meetings covering 125 of Bangladesh's 300 parliamentary constituencies as part of efforts to reorganise the Awami League.

"They may have convicted me, and I may not be able to contest elections," she said. "But why should they suspend the Awami League? If we have done badly, let the people decide."

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. When is Sheikh Hasina planning to return to Bangladesh? Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stated she plans to return to Bangladesh from exile in India around December 2026.

2. Why is she returning despite the legal dangers? Hasina stated she wants to face the courts voluntarily and stand with her party members who are facing repression. She expressed a desire to face whatever consequences await her on her own soil, where her parents are buried.

3. What charges does Sheikh Hasina face? In November, a Bangladeshi war crimes court sentenced her to death in absentia for her role in ordering a crackdown on the 2024 student-led uprising, which resulted in an estimated 1,400 deaths.

4. Are other Awami League members returning with her? Yes, Hasina stated that she and other senior Awami League colleagues plan to return together and surrender to the courts. This includes figures like former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who also faces a death sentence.

5. Has India agreed to extradite her? While Bangladesh has repeatedly requested her extradition, Hasina claims her decision to return is entirely her own and voluntary, rather than the result of an extradition agreement between New Delhi and Dhaka.

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