Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in India, has said she will return to Bangladesh within this year after overcoming what she described as conspiracies against her.
Hasina left Bangladesh and sought refuge in India after a student uprising in 2024 led to the fall of her government. Since then, Bangladesh’s interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus and the current government headed by Tariq Rahman have repeatedly asked India to hand her over.
In November last year, Bangladesh’s criminal tribunal convicted Hasina in cases linked to violence and awarded her the death penalty. Citing security concerns, she has remained in India for nearly two years.
In an interview to an English television channel, Hasina said the judgment against her was “against justice” and driven by political motives. She alleged that the judiciary had been turned into a tool for political revenge and claimed there was an attempt to create a leadership vacuum in the Awami League.
Stating that she was not afraid of death, Hasina referred to the loss of her family in 1975 and past attempts on her life. She said she had repeatedly faced plots but had stood with the people, and asserted that she would return to her country this year despite obstacles.
