BANGLADESH EX-PM SHEIKH HASINA SAYS SHE WILL RETURN FROM EXILE

Sheikh Hasina, ousted Prime Minister of Bangladesh, announced on Wednesday that she intends to return to her country after two years in exile in India, despite facing a death sentence. The announcement came via video link at an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia, where she appeared alongside her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and other Awami League party leaders. Hasina stated she wants the return to occur in December but said the exact date would be announced later. She acknowledged potential detention or imprisonment but said fear could not override her duty to her people.

Hasina fled to New Delhi by helicopter in 2024 following a student-led uprising that removed her from power. In her absence, she was tried in Dhaka and found guilty of incitement, ordering killings and failing to prevent atrocities; she received a death sentence for crimes against humanity. Bangladesh has repeatedly requested her extradition from India, though New Delhi has stated the request is being examined through legal channels. Hasina also called for the ban on her Awami League party to be lifted and stated that she and her son had no contact with the current Bangladeshi government.

Relations between Bangladesh and India have improved since Tarique Rahman became Prime Minister, with India inviting him to a BRICS summit in September. India's Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal stated on Tuesday that the Indian government had no involvement in Hasina's announcement and did not endorse views expressed at the event. The spokesman's statement appeared intended to distance New Delhi from the former Prime Minister's plans.