Hasina says she will return to Bangladesh despite death sentence

Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said she remains determined to return to the country from exile in India in December, despite being sentenced to death over her government’s deadly crackdown on protesters in 2024. In an email interview with The Associated Press, Hasina said her decision to return had not changed, even though she could face arrest and possible imprisonment upon arrival. “If death is my destiny, I would rather die on the soil of my own country, among my own people,” she told the AP.

“So, I will return to Bangladesh. That decision has not changed.” The AP said it had sent questions to Hasina last week and received her responses on Wednesday. She first announced in August that she intended to return in December but did not disclose how she planned to travel from India.

Hasina, who served as prime minister from 2009 to 2024, fled to India after student-led protests forced her from power. She has remained there since.