Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stated that fear and personal safety concerns will not stop her from fulfilling her duty to her nation as she announced her intention to return home in December. Addressing media virtually from exile in New Delhi, she emphasized her readiness to face potential arrest, imprisonment, or legal challenges to support the Bangladeshi people.Who is Sheikh Hasina and what did she declare?Sheikh Hasina is the ousted former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, who fled the country in August 2024 following a massive student-led anti-government uprising. Speaking via an audio address to journalists at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi, the 78-year-old political leader asserted that her lifetime of surviving political turmoil has made her immune to threats regarding her personal safety. She explicitly declared that "fear cannot decide my duty to the people" and shared her firm resolve to end her exile.Why is she choosing to return to Bangladesh now?Hasina expressed deep concern over the ongoing hardships, political instability, and social unrest affecting citizens in her homeland. She highlighted December as her chosen month of return, referencing it symbolically as Bangladesh’s victory month from the 1971 Liberation War. According to her statement, her objective is not a simple bid for political power, but a commitment to stand alongside her countrymen, help revive economic stability, restore secular democratic rights, and protect the rights of her party members.What risks and legal consequences does she face upon her return?The former leader faces severe legal jeopardy in Bangladesh. Following her removal, judicial proceedings initiated by an interim authority led to convictions by the International Crimes Tribunal, including a sentence in absentia for alleged crimes against humanity linked to crackdowns during the 2024 protests. Authorities in Dhaka, led by the administration that took charge after elections in early 2026, have repeatedly stated that she will be arrested immediately upon stepping onto Bangladeshi soil. Hasina has consistently dismissed these cases as politically motivated fabrications.How have regional authorities and diplomatic channels reacted?Her address sparked immediate controversy and diplomatic friction. Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry expressed outrage over her public interaction from Indian territory, warning that allowing such political statements damages bilateral relations between Dhaka and New Delhi. In response, Indian officials distanced the government from the press event, clarifying that New Delhi had no involvement in hosting the briefing and did not endorse the views expressed, while continuing to evaluate formal extradition requests from Bangladesh.also read : Iran Warns Gulf States of Retaliation Over US Strikes
