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  2026-06-29 09:05:00

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina has announced her intention to return to her home country later this year, breaking her prolonged silence from exile in India. Hasina, who was forced to flee Bangladesh in August 2024 following a massive student-led uprising, made the remarks during an exclusive interview with NDTV.

Her announcement comes at a highly volatile time in Dhaka, with her political rivals dismissing the move as a strategic disruption tactic, even as her banned political outfit shows signs of a grassroots revival.

“My Return is Not Personal Ambition”

Brushing aside the severe legal threats waiting for her back home, the 78-year-old leader asserted that she is prepared for whatever awaits her upon her return.

Hasina strongly rejected the recent capital punishment ruling handed down to her in absentia by a Dhaka court for alleged crimes against humanity during the 2024 unrest. She termed the death sentence as “part of an illegal, unconstitutional, and politically motivated process” orchestrated by her detractors.

According to Hasina, her decision to return to Bangladesh in 2026 is driven entirely by a broader mission to restore the democratic framework, protect minority groups, and revive the spirit of the country’s 1971 Liberation War. She went on to heavily criticise both the previous interim administration under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and the newly elected government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, claiming that the country’s economy has weakened significantly. At the same time, extremism continues to expand under the current dispensation.

Political Rivals Fire Back

The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) have wasted no time in condemning her statements. Spokespersons from the ruling party dismissed her planned homecoming as a clear “pressure tactic” intended to destabilise a government that was elected with an overwhelming majority in February.

They issued a stern reminder to the ousted prime minister: the moment she steps onto Bangladeshi soil, she will be immediately taken into custody to face trials for multiple pending criminal cases, including the execution order for her death sentence.

The State of Play in Dhaka

The political friction inside Bangladesh has grown increasingly complex over the last few months. While the Tarique Rahman administration maintains an iron grip on the central governance, internal rifts are showing:

The Awami League’s Status: The party remains officially banned from participating in mainstream political activities. However, in a strategic shift, the government has allowed its members to contest upcoming local polls under the strict condition that they run purely as independent candidates.

The Coalition Fracture: The fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami has publicly targeted the ruling BNP, accusing them of actively trying to “rehabilitate” the Awami League via these local election loopholes while simultaneously attempting to curb Jamaat’s own expanding influence.

With Hasina drawing a hard line in the sand for a 2026 return, the political atmosphere in South Asia is bracing for yet another high-stakes showdown.