- The former prime minister says she is not afraid of death.
- Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death in absentia.
- Hasina remains in India after fleeing Bangladesh.
Bangladesh's fugitive former leader Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return to her country “this year”, according to an interview published on Sunday, months after she was sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity.
Hasina, 78, fled to neighboring India in August 2024 after a student-led uprising ended her 15-year heavy-handed rule.
She has not been seen in public since, except for a rare speech broadcast to a packed press club in New Delhi in January.
In an interview with the Indian broadcaster NDTVHasina said she was not afraid of death and that the sentence against her was “part of an illegal, unconstitutional and politically motivated process.”
“Many conspiracies have been hatched against me. But breaking all the webs of conspiracy… I was elected prime minister five times by the people's vote and worked for the unprecedented development of the country,” Hasina said.
“I want to say it clearly: overcoming all obstacles and all conspiracies, I will return to my country this year,” he added in response to a question about whether he would return despite the death sentence.
Last November, Hasina was found guilty by a Dhaka court of incitement, order to kill and failure to prevent atrocities, and sentenced to hanging.
The activities of its former ruler Awami League, once one of the most popular in the country, have been banned.
Ties between India and Bangladesh have improved since Prime Minister Tarique Rahman won a landslide election victory in the South Asian nation of 170 million people in February.
But friction persists and Bangladesh repeatedly demands Hasina's extradition.
