Hasina Also Called for the Ban on Her Awami League Party to Be Lifted

Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 78, said on Wednesday she will return to her country after two years in exile in India, despite facing the death penalty. Speaking via videolink at a Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia event alongside her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and other Awami League leaders, including former Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, she said the exact return date will be announced "when time comes, but she wants it in December this year. Hasina also called for the ban on her Awami League party to be lifted.

Her son said they are not in contact with the current government. Hasina fled to New Delhi by helicopter after the 2024 student-led revolution toppled her government. She was sentenced to hang for crimes against humanity after being found guilty of incitement, ordering killings, and failing to prevent atrocities.

Her promise comes as Bangladesh and India seek to repair strained ties; Dhaka has repeatedly requested her extradition, but New Delhi has only said the request is being examined through legal process. With newly elected leader Tarique Rahman in power, relations have improved, and India invited him to a BRICS summit in September. Ahead of her address, India's Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said on Tuesday, "The government has no involvement whatsoever in it, neither does it endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum.