Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said she intends to return to Dhaka in December, despite facing serious legal challenges and a death sentence handed down in absentia. In a fresh interview with CNN-News18, Hasina said she was prepared to face the courts but insisted that any proceedings must be transparent and allow her to defend herself.
The Awami League leader, who has been living in India since her government was ousted in August 2024, said the decision to return was her own. She described India as a friend but said Bangladesh remained her motherland and that she could not stay outside the country indefinitely.
Her planned return comes amid continuing tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi over her extradition and the political future of the Awami League.
Hasina confirms December plan
Hasina told CNN-News18 that she plans to return to Bangladesh in December and is currently working on how the move will be carried out.
She said she wanted to stand with the people of Bangladesh during what she described as one of the country's most difficult periods. Her comments echo an earlier declaration in August that she would return despite the possibility of detention or imprisonment.
The former premier has previously indicated that she and senior Awami League figures could return voluntarily and face the legal process.
Demands right to defend
Hasina said her return would require guarantees of personal security, access to lawyers and the right to defend herself in court.
She also called for an independent judiciary, transparent proceedings and a fair trial. She said she was prepared to face the courts but argued that justice could not mean a verdict that had already been determined.
Her comments come after Bangladesh's interim authorities said she would receive due process if she returned to face the cases against her.
Death sentence remains key issue
Hasina faces a death sentence imposed by Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal in absentia. The case relates to the deadly crackdown during the student-led uprising that ultimately ended her 15-year rule in August 2024.
She has rejected the allegations against her and has continued to challenge the legal proceedings from India. International reporting has noted that her potential return would therefore create an immediate confrontation between her political ambitions and the existing judicial process.
Dhaka wants legal process
Bangladesh's government has repeatedly said it wants Hasina brought back to face justice.
Information Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman said authorities would welcome her return if she came to face the cases against her. He has also said she could appoint lawyers of her choice and that the tribunal process should remain transparent.
Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman has separately said that if Hasina enters Bangladesh, legal action will follow according to the law.
No backchannel talks, says Hasina
Hasina also ruled out any backchannel negotiations with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government.
She said there was no question of talks with people whom she accused of persecuting Awami League leaders, workers and supporters. According to Hasina, many party members have faced arrests, cases, dismissal from jobs, attacks and threats since August 2024.
She maintained that the Awami League would eventually return to the people and that its political struggle would continue.
Return creates legal hurdles
The practical process of returning to Bangladesh remains unclear. Reports have noted that Hasina's diplomatic passport was cancelled, raising questions about the documentation or legal arrangement required for her entry.
Her return would also put renewed focus on India's position. Dhaka has previously sought her extradition, while Hasina has framed her proposed return as a voluntary political decision rather than an extradition arrangement.
Bangladesh politics faces test
Hasina's December plan could become a major test for Bangladesh's political and judicial institutions. Her arrival would place the government under pressure to balance the tribunal's proceedings with its stated commitment to due process and security.
For Hasina, the return would represent a dramatic reversal after two years in India. She says she is ready to face the consequences, provided she is allowed to contest the allegations through a fair legal process.
Whether she can physically return in December, and what happens immediately after she enters Bangladesh, will depend on the legal and political circumstances at that time.
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