New Delhi: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who faces a death sentence, said she will return to her country this year, asserting that her aim is to restore democracy and protect the rights of people rather than seek power.
In an interview with NDTV, Hasina, who sought refuge in India after resigning as PM and fleeing Dhaka in August 2024 following a massive student uprising, claimed that the verdict against her was politically motivated.
“The verdict against me is not justice. It is part of an illegal, unconstitutional, and politically motivated process. The judiciary has been turned into an instrument of political revenge to make the Awami League leaderless. Such attempts have been made before. They failed then, and they will fail again,” she said, referring to Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal pronouncing her guilty of crimes against humanity and sentencing her to death in November.
Hasina said she had survived several conspiracies, and was not afraid of death.
“I do not fear death. In 1975, I lost my parents, my brothers, and almost my entire family. On 21 August, there was an attempt to kill me with grenades. Many conspiracies have been hatched against me. But breaking through every web of conspiracy, I stood beside the people of Bangladesh. I was elected Prime Minister five times by the people’s vote and worked for the country’s unprecedented development. Almost my entire life has been tied to the people of Bangladesh, to the Awami League, to the democratic struggle, and to the development of Bangladesh. So, I want to say clearly: overcoming every obstacle and every conspiracy, I will return to my country this year,” Hasina said.
‘Not a personal ambition’
“My return is not a question of personal ambition. It is tied to the restoration of democracy, the rule of law and the political rights of the people of Bangladesh,” she added.
Hasina was confident that the Awami League will regain political ground despite a ban being slapped on her party and cases filed against its leaders and workers, asserting that the party’s future depended on public support rather than the actions of the government.
Hasina, who has been in India for almost two years, said she remained in regular contact with her family as living away from Bangladesh was emotionally difficult.
Saying that her “heart remains in Bangladesh”, Hasina said she closely follows political developments back home and the situation of Awami League leaders.
