The sudden announcement by Sheikh Hasina, living in exile in India since August 2024, that she plans to return to Bangladesh by the end of the year was startling but not really a surprise. For nearly two years after fleeing Bangladesh in the face of a student uprising, she was still combative and tried hard to keep her banned Awami League party afloat. She spoke of returning and contesting elections again, but even her supporters knew that at the age of 78, chances of a political comeback were slim.

In her interview to Reuters, the ousted former prime minister acknowledged that she could be arrested, executed or even assassinated upon her return. Yet she insisted that she had no alternative. She explained that she wanted to die on the soil where her “parents were buried” and where their blood was shed.

The International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death in November 2025 for crimes against humanity linked to the deadly suppression of protests. Multiple murder and corruption cases followed. Dhaka repeatedly sent extradition requests to India, while New Delhi carefully avoided making any public commitment.

The Bangladesh government has welcomed the announcement. It has also warned that she will be arrested on arrival and sent to prison to stand trial. A government spokesperson suggested darkly that the former prime minister “should bring with her the world’s best lawyers” to argue her case.

India has officially said the request for extradition was being examined legally and that India’s approach has not changed. India has not formally granted Sheikh Hasina political asylum. Since her ouster in August 2024, she has been living in India under what officials describe as a ‘special guest’ arrangement, but her exact legal status remains deliberately undefined.

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