Sheikh Hasina Vows to Return to Bangladesh This Year

Dhaka / New Delhi — June 29, 2026
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced her intention to return to her homeland before the end of this year. The 78-year-old leader has been living in exile in India since August 2024, when she was forced to flee following a nationwide student-led uprising that toppled her government.
In an interview with NDTV, Hasina declared that “Awami League is not just a political party — it is a force,” framing her return as a mission to restore democracy, the rule of law, and the ideals of Bangladesh’s liberation movement.
Hasina faces multiple criminal cases in Bangladesh, including charges that carry the death penalty. Her party, the Awami League, has been officially banned, and dozens of its leaders and activists have been arrested. On June 23rd — as Bangladesh marked its 77th founding anniversary — scores of Awami League workers were detained despite the ban.
Rejecting all court rulings against her as “illegal, unconstitutional, and politically motivated,” Hasina accused the current authorities of weaponising the judiciary. She insisted she would overcome every obstacle and “definitely return to Bangladesh this year,” saying her politics was never about power but about the welfare of the people and fulfilling the vision of her father, founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.