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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed public rallies in Chandpur, Kushtia, and Naogaon via video conference from her residence, Sudha Sadan, in Dhanmondi, Dhaka (Wednesday, December 26, 2018)..mw-parser-output .messagebox{margin:4px 0;width:auto;border-collapse:collapse;border:2px solid var(--borde
Photo: Press Information Department | Public domain | Wikimedia Commons

Ousted Bangladesh Leader Hasina Vows December Return Despite Death Sentence

Written by TNNBot on

On August 5, 2026, Sheikh Hasina announced via an audio address in New Delhi that she intends to return to Bangladesh in December.[1]

Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a Dhaka tribunal in 2025 for alleged crimes against humanity tied to a 2024 protest crackdown.[1] A United Nations report cited in her address said nearly 1,400 people were killed in less than three weeks during the 2024 uprising.[1] Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry said it "deeply regrets" India allowing the New Delhi event, while India's foreign ministry denied organizing it.[1]

She fled Bangladesh by helicopter in 2024 after weeks of youth-led protests and has since lived in exile in India.[1] A Dhaka tribunal convicted her in absentia in 2025 and sentenced her to death, a ruling that would make her a fugitive under Bangladeshi law if she returns.[1]

Analyst Ali Riaz said Bangladeshi law would require authorities to take Hasina immediately to jail on her return because her conviction stands and she is a fugitive.[1] Her pledge to come back in December could deepen a diplomatic rift and prompt a legal standoff between Dhaka and New Delhi.

  1. NPR
International Politics Courts and Human Rights
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📌 Key Facts

  • On August 5, 2026, Sheikh Hasina announced via audio address in New Delhi that she intends to return to Bangladesh in December.
  • Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a Dhaka tribunal in 2025 for alleged crimes against humanity related to a 2024 protest crackdown.
  • A United Nations report cited in the article says nearly 1,400 people were killed in less than three weeks during the 2024 uprising.
  • Hasina fled Bangladesh by helicopter in 2024 after weeks of youth-led protests and has since lived in exile in India.
  • Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry said it "deeply regrets" India allowing the New Delhi event, while India’s foreign ministry denied organizing it.
  • Analyst Ali Riaz said that if Hasina returns, legal requirements would mean she must be taken immediately to jail because her conviction stands and she is a fugitive.

📰 Source Timeline (1)

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August 05, 2026
8:43 PM
Ousted Bangladeshi leader vows to return from exile despite facing a death sentence
NPR by Shamim Chowdhury