Sheikh Hasina Vows Return to Bangladesh Despite Death Sentence

Dhaka, Bangladesh – In an audio address to journalists from New Delhi on Wednesday, Sheikh Hasina, 78, declared she is ready to face arrest, imprisonment, or even the death penalty, but she cannot stay away from her supporters. The statement came on the second anniversary of the end of her 15-year rule, a period marked by alleged killings, arrests of political opponents, human rights abuses, and electoral fraud.

In November last year, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal – a court Hasina herself established to try her rivals – convicted her of crimes against humanity and sentenced her to death for ordering the killing of more than 1,400 people during the 2024 uprising. Bangladesh has repeatedly asked India to extradite Hasina, but New Delhi, a close ally of hers, has not yet given an official response.

Immediately after Hasina's speech, protesters in the capital Dhaka burned effigies of her. The government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed outrage over New Delhi's allowing the event to take place, warning it could further strain diplomatic ties between the two countries.

In a related development, the ancestral home of former Bangladesh cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan in Magura town, about 170 kilometers southwest of Dhaka, was attacked by a mob angered by Hasina's speech. Shakib, a former lawmaker from the Awami League, is currently abroad and faces allegations of murder, embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering.

Just before Hasina's speech, Prime Minister Rahman inaugurated a memorial museum dedicated to the 2024 uprising at Hasina's official residence. The inauguration was attended by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who headed the interim government after Hasina was ousted.

No Political Future?

In this context, Hasina delivered a defiant speech, dismissing the popular narrative of the July 2024 uprising, arguing it was not a mass movement but a coordinated campaign to topple her government. She repeatedly stressed her intention to return is to “restore democracy and promote national reconciliation,” saying Bangladesh needs “healing rather than confrontation.”

Within the Awami League, Hasina's announcement has revived hopes of a political comeback. A senior party leader, speaking anonymously to Al Jazeera, said: “Our leader will definitely return, and all of us will come out of hiding.” Another party member, Shajidul Islam Shobuj, who is in hiding, said: “We are eagerly waiting for her return and are working to reorganize the party.”

However, leaders of the 2024 uprising argue that reconciliation cannot come before justice. Akhter Hossain, a former student leader now a lawmaker for the National Citizens' Party (NCP), asserted: “Sheikh Hasina can return to Bangladesh anytime if she is able. She will have to face the judicial process.” He said the Awami League has “no political future” unless it is held accountable for the crimes committed.

Many who participated in the uprising are also skeptical. Atikul Gazi, 23, who survived being shot on August 5, 2024, but lost his left arm, said: “She said she would not flee, but she did. We don't believe she will return just because she said so.” He believes the government should ensure Hasina faces justice.

Hard to See Anything

Experts view Hasina's statement as a “high-risk political gamble” that could determine the future of the Awami League and test the durability of the post-uprising political order. Analyst David Bergman said returning could help Hasina maintain political relevance and pose a challenge to the new government, but the party continues to misread the political situation.

If she returns, it would not be the first time. After the assassination of her father, founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and his family in 1975, she lived in exile for years before returning in 1981. However, the political context this time is entirely different.

Observer Mubashar Hasan said Hasina's announcement is a strategy to boost the morale of Awami League members, who have been demoralized since her departure. Many felt abandoned when she boarded a military helicopter to leave Bangladesh on August 5, 2024. However, Hasan doubts the strategy will succeed.

Just Hollow Rhetoric

Hasina's speech also created new diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Dhaka. Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: “Bangladesh is extremely outraged. Mass murderer Hasina and her mafia empire will never have a place in Bangladesh's politics.” The ministry accused India of allowing Hasina to use its territory to attack the Bangladesh state, calling it “an insult to sovereignty” and “a gross disrespect to the martyrs of the July Revolution.”

On the other side, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government was “not involved in any manner” in the event and did not endorse the views expressed.

Meanwhile, in Dhaka, the parents of Shahriar Khan Anas, 17, one of the 1,400 killed in the 2024 uprising, simply said: “We have no words to say today.” Risul Islam Rifat, a final-year journalism student at North South University, one of the epicenters of the protests, bluntly commented: “It's just hollow rhetoric. Despite political differences, the parties today are united on one point: Sheikh Hasina. The participants of the July movement and the people of Bangladesh will not allow that kind of politics to return.”