The planned Sheikh Hasina return to Bangladesh has once again taken centre stage after the fugitive former prime minister declared she intends to go back to her home country by December, even though she believes doing so could cost her life. In an emailed response to questions from a news agency, the 78 year old former leader admitted that she might be killed, arrested, or thrown into prison, yet said she remains fully aware of her fate and wants to return because her people are calling her.
Why the Sheikh Hasina Return to Bangladesh Plan Matters
Hasina was toppled in August 2024 after a student led uprising brought an end to her fifteen year, iron fisted rule. As demonstrators stormed her official residence, she fled the country by helicopter and sought refuge in India, where she has been living at an undisclosed location ever since. The United Nations has estimated that as many as 1,400 people were killed during the crackdowns carried out while she tried to hold on to power. Her decision to plan a return, despite the risks involved, has drawn fresh attention to the political turmoil that has gripped Bangladesh since her exit.
Hasina Crimes Against Humanity Verdict
In November, a Dhaka court delivered its ruling on the Hasina crimes against humanity verdict, finding her guilty and sentencing her to death by hanging. Hasina rejected the ruling outright, describing it as political vengeance dressed up as law rather than genuine justice. The verdict has become one of the central obstacles standing between her and any safe homecoming, since Bangladeshi authorities have made clear that legal proceedings against her would continue if she comes back.
The Bangladesh Extradition Request and India’s Response
Adding another layer to the situation is the Bangladesh extradition request, which Dhaka formally submitted seeking Hasina’s handover from Indian custody. New Delhi has said the request remains under examination, leaving its final outcome unclear. Hasina, for her part, insists the extradition matter has no bearing on her personal decision to return, stating that she is staying in India with due respect and dignity and that Indian officials have not raised the topic of extradition with her directly. She was firm in saying that the choice to go back is entirely her own, made without pressure from any government.
Sheikh Hasina India Exile and Shifting Regional Ties
Her time in Sheikh Hasina India exile has coincided with a period of strained, and now gradually stabilising, relations between Dhaka and New Delhi. Ties between the two neighbours had grown tense under Bangladesh’s interim administration, but have improved since Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office in February. This diplomatic shift may play a role in how both governments handle the extradition question going forward, though neither side has signalled a firm timeline for resolution.
What Comes Next
Bangladesh’s government has stated it will guarantee Hasina due legal process in all cases filed against her should she return, though rights groups have long accused her former administration of serious abuses, including the killing of political rivals, suppression of opposition parties, manipulated courts, and one sided elections. Whether the promised due process will be enough to reassure her remains uncertain, but Hasina has made her intention clear: she plans to go home before the year ends, regardless of the personal danger that decision may bring.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, July 30th, 2026
Follow SouthAsianDesk on X, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business and current affairs from across South Asia.
