Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor, Mohammad Aminul Islam, has said that former Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina has no option but to face death sentence verdict if she returns to Bangladesh.
Speaking on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Aminul Islam questioned Hasina’s reported plans to return to the country, stating that she should have returned during the trial proceedings to defend herself in court.
According to a report by AFP, the chief prosecutor said Hasina should have appeared before the tribunal and presented her defence rather than remaining abroad. He added that she should also have returned within 30 days of the verdict to file an appeal.
Earlier this year, Sheikh Hasina reportedly announced plans to return to Bangladesh in December, despite the possibility of arrest or assassination. She maintained that fear of imprisonment or death would not prevent her from fulfilling her responsibilities towards the people.
Meanwhile, responding to reports that Sheikh Hasina had approached the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi through her London-based lawyers to seek a new passport and national identity card, Aminul Islam said there was no legal basis for issuing travel documents to a person sentenced to death.
Referring to the Bangladesh Passport Order 1973, he cited Sections 6 and 7, which restrict passport issuance to individuals convicted of certain offences, particularly those involving moral turpitude and carrying sentences of at least two years.
