Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be immediately imprisoned if she returns to the country, according to a stern warning from Shama Obaed Islam, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The statement comes after the 78-year-old exiled leader—who has been living in India since her government was toppled in August 2024—vowed to return to Dhaka by the end of this year “without any fear of death.”
The Government’s Stance
The interim administration in Dhaka made it clear that no concessions or special considerations will be granted to the former prime minister.
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Immediate Arrest: “Wherever Sheikh Hasina surrenders, whether in India or Bangladesh, she will have to go to jail first,” State Minister Shama Obaed Islam told reporters, adding that the law will take its own course.
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Encouraging Fugitives: The government views Hasina’s statements as a tactical move to boost the morale of Awami League leaders and activists, many of whom have gone into hiding or fled the country since the party was banned.
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No Political Negotiation: The administration reiterated that it has “nothing to consider regarding the statements of a convicted individual.”
Key Context: The Death Sentence
The legal stakes for Hasina are exceptionally high. On November 17 of last year, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia after finding her guilty of crimes against humanity.
The tribunal ruled that during the student-led protests that ultimately brought down her 20-year rule, Hasina ordered security forces to use lethal weapons, drones, and helicopters to hunt down and kill demonstrators.
Hasina’s Defiant Position
In an exclusive interview, Hasina rejected the tribunal’s findings, calling her sentence “part of an illegal, unconstitutional, and politically motivated process” aimed at rendering the Awami League leaderless.
“They may arrest me on my return, they may even kill me. Still, I have to go… If death comes, I want it to come on my own soil, where my parents are buried.”
— Sheikh Hasina
The situation remains highly volatile, as any attempted return by Hasina could trigger fresh political unrest between her loyalists and the current administrative framework.
