Whatever fate awaits me, I'll return to Bangladesh in December: Sheikh Hasina
In her first audio address to the international media in Delhi since being ousted from power exactly two years ago, Sheikh Hasina said she could not stay away while Bangladeshis were suffering.
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday vowed to return to her country in December despite the possibility of being arrested or jailed, saying "fear cannot decide" her duty to the people.
In her first audio address to the international media in Delhi since being ousted from power exactly two years ago, Hasina said she could not stay away while Bangladeshis were suffering, and vowed to return regardless of the consequences.
"Whatever fate awaits me, I will return to my people. I cannot stay away while my beloved countrymen are suffering. I know I may be detained, I may be sent to prison. They may try to enforce verdicts issued in fabricated cases, but fear cannot decide my duty to the people. My life goes beyond calculations of personal safety," she said.
Hasina confirmed that she planned to return later this year. "I have announced my return and will do that in December. Obviously, I will announce the date at an appropriate time," she said.
The 77-year-old Awami League chief has been living in secrecy in Delhi since she was ousted from office in the wake of massive student protests on August 5, 2024.
Hasina said her return was driven by concern for Bangladesh's future rather than any quest for power.
"I want to return because people deserve security, development, prosperity and peace. My return and the return of the Awami League to the democratic process is not about power, it is about putting Bangladesh on the right track. It is about reviving the country's path of development, progress, secularism and stability," she said.
Hasina also accused the current dispensation of undermining Bangladesh's democratic and secular foundations. "I believe in democracy and secular polity. They have already destroyed the monuments of our freedom and our pride," she said.
Recalling her political journey, Hasina said she had endured imprisonment, exile and repeated assassination attempts throughout her life.
"In 1971, I was in prison with my mother, and my son Joy was born in captivity. In 1975, I lost my family. I spent six years in exile. After returning home, I fought against the military dictatorship and political conspiracies. There were 19 assassination attempts against me. Even the grenade attack of 2004 could not stop me. Therefore, I am not worried about my own future; I am worried about the future of Bangladesh," she said.
Following Hasina's ouster, the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus disbanded the Awami League through an executive order issued under Bangladesh's anti-terror law.
In November 2025, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia after convicting her of crimes against humanity over the violent crackdown on the 2024 student-led protests.
Hasina has rejected the charges as "politically motivated". Bangladesh has also been seeking her extradition, a request that New Delhi has acknowledged and said remains under legal consideration.
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday vowed to return to her country in December despite the possibility of being arrested or jailed, saying "fear cannot decide" her duty to the people.
In her first audio address to the international media in Delhi since being ousted from power exactly two years ago, Hasina said she could not stay away while Bangladeshis were suffering, and vowed to return regardless of the consequences.
"Whatever fate awaits me, I will return to my people. I cannot stay away while my beloved countrymen are suffering. I know I may be detained, I may be sent to prison. They may try to enforce verdicts issued in fabricated cases, but fear cannot decide my duty to the people. My life goes beyond calculations of personal safety," she said.
Hasina confirmed that she planned to return later this year. "I have announced my return and will do that in December. Obviously, I will announce the date at an appropriate time," she said.
The 77-year-old Awami League chief has been living in secrecy in Delhi since she was ousted from office in the wake of massive student protests on August 5, 2024.
Hasina said her return was driven by concern for Bangladesh's future rather than any quest for power.
"I want to return because people deserve security, development, prosperity and peace. My return and the return of the Awami League to the democratic process is not about power, it is about putting Bangladesh on the right track. It is about reviving the country's path of development, progress, secularism and stability," she said.
Hasina also accused the current dispensation of undermining Bangladesh's democratic and secular foundations. "I believe in democracy and secular polity. They have already destroyed the monuments of our freedom and our pride," she said.
Recalling her political journey, Hasina said she had endured imprisonment, exile and repeated assassination attempts throughout her life.
"In 1971, I was in prison with my mother, and my son Joy was born in captivity. In 1975, I lost my family. I spent six years in exile. After returning home, I fought against the military dictatorship and political conspiracies. There were 19 assassination attempts against me. Even the grenade attack of 2004 could not stop me. Therefore, I am not worried about my own future; I am worried about the future of Bangladesh," she said.
Following Hasina's ouster, the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus disbanded the Awami League through an executive order issued under Bangladesh's anti-terror law.
In November 2025, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia after convicting her of crimes against humanity over the violent crackdown on the 2024 student-led protests.
Hasina has rejected the charges as "politically motivated". Bangladesh has also been seeking her extradition, a request that New Delhi has acknowledged and said remains under legal consideration.
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday vowed to return to her country in December despite the possibility of being arrested or jailed, saying "fear cannot decide" her duty to the people.
In her first audio address to the international media in Delhi since being ousted from power exactly two years ago, Hasina said she could not stay away while Bangladeshis were suffering, and vowed to return regardless of the consequences.
"Whatever fate awaits me, I will return to my people. I cannot stay away while my beloved countrymen are suffering. I know I may be detained, I may be sent to prison. They may try to enforce verdicts issued in fabricated cases, but fear cannot decide my duty to the people. My life goes beyond calculations of personal safety," she said.
Hasina confirmed that she planned to return later this year. "I have announced my return and will do that in December. Obviously, I will announce the date at an appropriate time," she said.
The 77-year-old Awami League chief has been living in secrecy in Delhi since she was ousted from office in the wake of massive student protests on August 5, 2024.
Hasina said her return was driven by concern for Bangladesh's future rather than any quest for power.
"I want to return because people deserve security, development, prosperity and peace. My return and the return of the Awami League to the democratic process is not about power, it is about putting Bangladesh on the right track. It is about reviving the country's path of development, progress, secularism and stability," she said.
Hasina also accused the current dispensation of undermining Bangladesh's democratic and secular foundations. "I believe in democracy and secular polity. They have already destroyed the monuments of our freedom and our pride," she said.
Recalling her political journey, Hasina said she had endured imprisonment, exile and repeated assassination attempts throughout her life.
"In 1971, I was in prison with my mother, and my son Joy was born in captivity. In 1975, I lost my family. I spent six years in exile. After returning home, I fought against the military dictatorship and political conspiracies. There were 19 assassination attempts against me. Even the grenade attack of 2004 could not stop me. Therefore, I am not worried about my own future; I am worried about the future of Bangladesh," she said.
Following Hasina's ouster, the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus disbanded the Awami League through an executive order issued under Bangladesh's anti-terror law.
In November 2025, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia after convicting her of crimes against humanity over the violent crackdown on the 2024 student-led protests.
Hasina has rejected the charges as "politically motivated". Bangladesh has also been seeking her extradition, a request that New Delhi has acknowledged and said remains under legal consideration.
