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Published : 28 Jun 2026, 08:15 PM
Nearly two years after being forced from office, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina says she will return to Bangladesh before the end of the year despite facing a death sentence and a ban on the political activities of the Awami League.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Hasina rejected the verdict against her as politically motivated, defended her party's record in government and accused Bangladesh's current leadership of dismantling democracy and abandoning the principles of the Liberation War.
Her comments came as the Awami League marked its 77th founding anniversary on Jun 23 in defiance of the nationwide ban, with dozens of activists reportedly arrested during security operations.
Addressing speculation over her return, Hasina said it was not driven by personal ambition but by what she described as a larger struggle to restore democracy, the rule of law, and the political rights of Bangladeshis.
"My return is not a question of personal ambition. It is tied to a far larger question: the political rights of the people of Bangladesh, the restoration of democracy, the rule of law, and the spirit of our Liberation War," NDTV quoted her as saying.
She rejected the death sentence handed down to her for her role in the suppression of the 2024 student protests, calling it part of an "illegal, unconstitutional, and politically motivated process" intended to leave the Awami League leaderless.
"The judiciary has been turned into an instrument of political revenge to make the Awami League leaderless. Such attempts have been made before. They failed then, and they will fail again."
Recalling the assassination of most of her family in 1975 and later attempts on her own life, Hasina said she had never allowed political violence to deter her.
"I do not fear death," she said.
"So, I want to say clearly: overcoming every obstacle and every conspiracy, I will return to my country this year," she told NDTV.
Turning to the future of the Awami League, Hasina dismissed suggestions that the party's prospects depended on the weaknesses of its political opponents.
Instead, she argued that its strength lay in its history and grassroots organisation.
"The Awami League is not a paper organisation. It is a political force rooted in the soil of Bengal, in the people of Bengal, in the history of Bengal, and in the identity of the Bengali nation," she added.
She said the party had survived repeated bans, violence, and political repression during its 77-year history and had consistently returned with public support.
She claimed the Awami League's removal from office followed what she described as a carefully orchestrated conspiracy that misled part of the population, but argued that public support for the party had endured.
According to Hasina, Bangladeshis were now reassessing the country's political direction.
She alleged that democracy, the rule of law and public security had deteriorated, while the economy had weakened, extremism had spread and minority communities had come under increasing pressure.
She contrasted that with what she described as stability and development during her own time in office.
Hasina also portrayed the Awami League's organisational structure as one of its greatest strengths, saying its roots extended into every level of Bangladesh's political landscape.
"The ability to turn people's support and aspirations into political reality is in the DNA of the Awami League," NDTV quoted her as saying.
She argued that political persecution had strengthened rather than weakened the party.
"Gold becomes purer in fire. In the same way, oppression and persecution by rulers are making the Awami League stronger every day," she said.
Marking the party's anniversary, Hasina urged supporters to remain united and deepen their engagement with communities across the country.
She called on party workers to stand beside persecuted people and defend the rights of minorities, women, children and marginalised communities.
"The politics of the Awami League is not for revenge. It is the politics of rights, security, dignity, and development," she told NDTV.
Hasina also dismissed suggestions that the Awami League's political future depended on concessions from those currently in power.
She argued that its recovery rested solely on public support, saying the ban, the closure of party offices and legal cases against its leaders had failed to erase the party from public life.
The former premier claimed pro-Awami League processions continued to take place across Bangladesh despite what she described as sustained repression by law-enforcing agencies, with ordinary citizens increasingly joining demonstrations alongside party activists.
She also alleged that the deployment of the army, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police during the party's anniversary reflected official concern over the Awami League's organisational strength rather than its decline.
Hasina argued that lifting the ban on the party, withdrawing what she called false cases and allowing peaceful political activity were essential to restoring a democratic political environment in Bangladesh.
She warned that if those in power continued to block those avenues, public frustration would ultimately create what she described as a new path for the Awami League's return.
Turning to Bangladesh's political direction since her removal from office, Hasina rejected suggestions that the country was simply recalibrating its domestic and foreign policies. Instead, she argued that its founding ideals had been fundamentally undermined.
She said Bangladesh's foreign policy should continue to be guided by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's principle of “friendship to all, malice to none”, but maintained that such engagement must not come at the expense of the country's constitutional principles or the spirit of the Liberation War.
According to Hasina, the events following Aug 5 marked a systematic erosion of those ideals.
She alleged that freedom fighters had been humiliated, Liberation War memorials vandalised, the slogan "Joy Bangla" criminalised, Bangabandhu's residence repeatedly attacked and minority communities targeted.
She also claimed attacks on temples, Sufi shrines and cultural institutions, coupled with a weakening of counterterrorism efforts, had created conditions for extremism to spread.
"In other words, every arrangement has been made to turn Bangladesh into a failed state," she told NDTV.
Contrasting the present with her years in office, Hasina pointed to what she described as the Awami League government's economic achievements.
She cited GDP growth of 7.25 percent in 2023, per capita income of $2,793, Bangladesh's rise to become the world's 35th-largest economy, a 36-fold increase in foreign exchange reserves and a fivefold rise in foreign direct investment to $3.48 billion.
She also highlighted reductions in poverty, expanded electricity coverage, improvements in literacy and healthcare, and infrastructure projects including the Padma Bridge, metro rail, Karnaphuli Tunnel, expressways and the Bangabandhu Satellite.
Hasina argued that only the Awami League could reverse what she described as Bangladesh's democratic and economic decline.
She claimed the party would prevail if allowed to contest in “a free, fair, and inclusive election”, alleging that its ban reflected fears over its electoral strength.
Responding to reports of alleged backchannel contacts with the BNP over lifting the ban on the Awami League, Hasina dismissed the claims outright.
She described them as deliberate propaganda intended to confuse the public and insisted that democratic rights could not be negotiated through secret agreements.
"Bangladesh's democracy, the political rights of the Awami League, the voting rights of the people, and justice are not matters for secret bargaining. They are constitutional rights of the people."
Calling for the withdrawal of the ban, the release of political prisoners and the restoration of what she described as an independent judicial process, she said the Awami League sought no political favours.
"The Awami League does not seek political mercy from anyone. The Awami League will do politics on the basis of constitutional rights, public support, and the strength of the people."
Hasina devoted much of the interview to the situation facing Bangladesh's minority communities, describing reported attacks on Hindus and other religious groups as among the country's gravest challenges.
She argued that minority persecution had historically intensified whenever, in her view, the ideals of the Liberation War were weakened or communal forces gained influence over the state.
The former prime minister alleged that Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, indigenous communities, Ahmadis and followers of Sufi traditions had all faced insecurity since Aug 5, citing reports of attacks on temples, homes and religious practices.
She also criticised what she described as official denial of such incidents, arguing that it had emboldened perpetrators.
Referring to Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha, she said his continued imprisonment demonstrated that the condition of minorities had not improved despite political change.
Hasina insisted that minority rights were central to Bangladesh's national identity rather than a partisan issue.
"Minorities are not a vote bank. They are citizens of Bangladesh with equal dignity."
She added, "Those who attack minorities, vandalise temples, or threaten people in the name of religion are not merely enemies of one community. They are the enemies of the spirit of Bangladesh's independence."
She urged the authorities to ensure the protection of religious minorities, prosecute attacks on places of worship and safeguard religious freedom and equal rights.
Asked about her own life in exile in India, Hasina said personal concerns had long been secondary to politics and public service.
She reflected on losing most of her family in 1975 and spending years in exile before returning to Bangladesh, saying it was painful to be outside the country during what she described as another critical chapter in its history.
Although she remains in regular contact with family members, she said her thoughts were firmly fixed on Bangladesh and the Awami League activists she believes are facing persecution.
She said she continued to monitor developments in Bangladesh daily, maintain contact with party leaders and seek to raise concerns over democracy and human rights before the international community.
Concluding the interview with the Indian news outlet, Hasina expressed confidence that Bangladesh's democracy would ultimately be restored and that the Awami League would recover through public support.
"I believe the people of Bangladesh will restore democracy again. The Awami League will rise again through the strength of the people. I am with that struggle, and I will remain with it until my last day."
