Disgraced former leader Sheikh Hasina plans return to Bangladesh after two years in exile

Sheikh Hasina’s exiled Awami League colleagues say she intends to return to Bangladesh in December, after applying for a new passport and identity card. Her return could unsettle the newly elected government, as her party remains banned and she is likely to be arrested.

Hasina fled to India in August 2024 after a mass uprising toppled her government. A Bangladeshi tribunal later convicted her of crimes against humanity over a crackdown on student protests, which an estimate says killed 1,400 people, and sentenced her to death. She rejects the charges and the tribunal’s legitimacy; Bangladesh says she can return only through an acceptable prisoner exchange, while India has not acted on requests to extradite her.