“They can kill me, arrest me, torture me”: Sheikh Hasina says she will return to Bangladesh in December

Sheikh Hasina says she will return to Bangladesh in December despite the risk of arrest, torture or death. Read her remarks and the background

PGurus Newsdesk

October 20, 2026

Facing Death Sentence at Home, Hasina Says She Will Surrender Before Courts in December

Hasina Reaffirms December Homecoming Despite Death Sentence and Risks

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has once again said she will go back to Bangladesh in December, even though she knows she could be arrested, tortured or killed.

“I have to go back”

Hasina made the remarks on Monday while appearing virtually at an event organised by the Center for US-Bangladesh Relations in Washington, DC. Answering a question from India Today, she said: “I will go back to Bangladesh in December.”

She told the audience she is not afraid. “I know they can kill me, arrest me and torture me,” she said, adding that she had been arrested and tortured before. She called returning her responsibility and said she was not concerned about the level of risk.

She also thanked the Indian government and people for sheltering her since she left Bangladesh in August 2024, when mass protests brought down her government. She compared the welcome to the one she received in India in 1975, after most of her family was assassinated in Bangladesh.

Not the first time she has said it

Hasina first announced her plan in July, in interviews with Reuters and AFP, and repeated it on the second anniversary of her ouster. She told Reuters that she and senior Awami League colleagues intend to return around December and surrender before the courts. At the time she said the authorities in Dhaka might arrest or even kill her, and that she still had to go.

Death sentence and legal cases

Her return would take her back to a country where she has been sentenced to death. Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal found her guilty of crimes against humanity. Hasina disputes the legitimacy of the cases against her and says allegations against political leaders should be settled through fair judicial proceedings.

She has also accused the government led by Tarique Rahman of using criminal charges to silence critics. She has called for fair trials, genuine democracy and more inclusive politics, and urged the United States to support political pluralism and inclusive elections in Bangladesh.

Earlier returns

Hasina pointed to earlier homecomings made despite danger. She returned in 1981 after years abroad following the 1975 assassination of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and other relatives, and again during the 2007 emergency.

No date yet

She did not announce a confirmed date for her return. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, later told journalists that no date has been fixed and that an announcement will be made closer to the time.

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