Sheikh Hasina vows to return to Bangladesh despite fearing for her life

Bangladesh's fugitive ex-premier Sheikh Hasina says she will return home by December, despite fearing she could be killed, arrested or imprisoned.

Hasina, 78, made the comments in an emailed response to AFP from her secret location in India, where she has lived since a student-led uprising toppled her 15-year rule in August 2024.

"I may be killed. I may be arrested. I may be sent to prison," Hasina told AFP. "I am fully aware of my fate. Still, I want to go back because my people are calling me."

Where is Sheikh Hasina now?

Hasina has been living at a secret location in India since fleeing Bangladesh by helicopter in August 2024. She insists India has placed no pressure on her to return and that she made the decision herself. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition, a request New Delhi says remains under examination.

"I can say that I am staying in India with due respect and dignity," she said. "Indian authorities have not discussed extradition with me. I myself have decided to return to my country."

Why did Sheikh Hasina flee Bangladesh?

Hasina fled by helicopter in August 2024 as crowds stormed her palace during a student-led uprising that ended her 15-year, iron-fisted rule. The United Nations says up to 1,400 people were killed in crackdowns as she tried to cling to power. Relations between India and Bangladesh, strained under the interim administration that followed her fall, have stabilized since Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office in February.

What is Sheikh Hasina's death sentence for?

In November, a Dhaka court found Hasina guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced her to be hanged. She called the verdict "political vengeance dressed up as law." Rights groups have long accused her administration of abuses including the murder of rivals, suppression of opposition parties, rigged courts and one-sided elections.

Hasina defended her record, describing many of the allegations as "politically constructed campaigns." She said that whenever allegations were made, investigations followed and those involved in crimes were brought to justice.

Did Sheikh Hasina order force against student protesters?

Hasina dismissed allegations that she sanctioned excessive force during the protests that led to her ouster. "My government showed the highest level of patience and tried to guide the student movement towards a peaceful solution," she said. She characterized the uprising as more than "merely an ordinary student protest," describing it instead as "a planned operation driven by hidden instructions, organized violence, propaganda and the objective of overthrowing the government."

She declined to comment on the nationwide youth-led protests in India that forced the country's education minister to resign last week.

Will Sheikh Hasina return to politics?

Asked whether she planned to resume political activity, Hasina did not give a direct answer. Her Awami League party is effectively banned in Bangladesh. "Power is not my destination. Service to the people is," she said.

Hasina said she had "sympathy for every family that lost a loved one" but stopped short of an apology. She also sidestepped questions about whether she regretted any decisions made during the uprising, saying state decisions "are not made by one person alone, and they cannot be judged honestly by isolating one moment from the whole crisis."