I Will Return to Bangladesh in December: Sheikh Hasina

Shibbir Ahmed, New York: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said she intends to return to Bangladesh in December despite knowing that she could be arrested, tortured or even killed upon arrival. In an interview with Anandabazar Patrika, published on Thursday, Hasina said she had made the decision after considering all possible consequences. The interview was conducted by journalist Agni Roy in New Delhi and was first published in the newspaper’s print edition.

Asked how she planned to return and whether she expected to be arrested immediately, Hasina said she was aware of the risks regardless of whether she travelled by air or road. She said she could be arrested as soon as she entered Bangladesh and that there was also a possibility of being taken to an undisclosed location and subjected to prolonged mistreatment. Despite those risks, she said the difficult circumstances faced by people in Bangladesh had influenced her decision to return.

Hasina also said that the Awami League has a longstanding organisational structure that allows the party to function even when its president is absent. Referring to the party’s history, she said its leadership arrangements had continued during earlier periods when political activities were restricted.

During the interview, Hasina also discussed Bangladesh’s current political environment, including the relationship between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami. She alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami had collaborated with Pakistani forces during the 1971 Liberation War and accused the current authorities of reviving the International Crimes Tribunal and using it against her. She also rejected the legal proceedings against her, describing them as unjust. Hasina further argued that BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami were politically closely aligned and said she saw little substantive difference between the two.

Hasina was also asked about the decision of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman not to visit India despite an invitation. She dismissed the suggestion that a statement she made at an August 5 press conference had prevented the Bangladeshi prime minister from travelling to India. She referred to Tarique Rahman’s years in London and questioned why his political activities there had not prevented relations between Britain and Bangladesh from continuing.

She also alleged that instructions connected to the 2024 political movement had been issued from abroad. These are claims made by Hasina and were presented in the context of the interview.

Hasina’s announcement is not the first time she has spoken about returning to Bangladesh in December. In July, she told Reuters that she planned to return despite the possibility of arrest or death.

She also reiterated her intention to return during a virtual media interaction on August 5, saying she was prepared for detention or imprisonment. The latest Anandabazar interview, however, provides a more detailed account of her stated reasoning and the risks she says she is prepared to face.

Source: Anandabazar Patrika, interview by Agni Roy, published September 10, 2026.