Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh's ousted former prime minister, has said she intends to return home despite having been sentenced to death in absentia, in a defiant address marking the second anniversary of her removal from power. Speaking via audio at a press conference in New Delhi, where she has lived in exile since fleeing in 2024, the 78-year-old declared: "Whatever fate awaits me, I will return to my people." The announcement underscores the deep political rupture in Bangladesh, where her potential return would likely trigger immediate legal proceedings given the charges she faces.

Hasina, who served five terms as prime minister, fled to India in 2024 amid a youth-led uprising in which nearly 1,400 people died. A Dhaka tribunal sentenced her to death in 2025 over charges of crimes against humanity linked to the crackdown on protesters. She insisted her government "tried to resolve the issue peacefully" and blamed "organised violence," but analysts, including political scientist Ali Riaz, dispute this account, pointing to UN findings that documented the state's use of force against civilians. She has said she plans to return to Bangladesh in December.