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Bangladesh Ex-Premier Hasina Vows to Return Despite Fearing for Life
Hasina said she wants to return despite fearing prison or death, after a student-led uprising ended her 15-year rule.
Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced plans to return to her country by December despite facing potential arrest, imprisonment, or death following her 2024 ouster.
Hasina fled by helicopter to India in August 2024 after a student-led uprising ended her 15-year rule; the United Nations estimates up to 1,400 people were killed during crackdowns.
Defending her record, the 78-year-old dismissed allegations of excessive force as "politically constructed campaigns," characterizing the uprising as a "planned operation" aimed at overthrowing her government.
Dhaka has formally requested her extradition, a matter New Delhi says is "under examination," while Hasina insists she remains in India with "due respect and dignity."
Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday that prosecutions against Hasina's allies fall short of international fair trial standards, yet she remains determined: "Still, I want to go back because my people are calling me.