Will return to Bangladesh no matter what fate awaits her, said Sheik Hasina in her virtual address on August 5th according to sources.
Hasina is living in self-imposed exile in New Delhi since student-led protests toppled her government in 2024. She was sentenced to death in 2025 for crimes against humanity over her crackdown on the demonstrations, a verdict she has dismissed as legally void.
The 78 year old made her first public appearance on Wednesday, albeit by videolink, at an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi alongside her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and other speakers.
India had on Tuesday denied any involvement in the virtual address” We do not endorse any views that may be expressed at the forum,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told a news conference in New Delhi. The response came after Bangladesh urged India to reveal its stance on the address by Hasina. Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman maintained that announcing or publishing the planned speech would violate laws prohibiting publishing or broadcasting Hasina’s speeches, statements, interviews, and audio or video messages within Bangladesh.
Awami League party condemned the ban, saying the Bangladeshi government is trying to intimidate journalists. In a post on X, the party accused politicians of “spending public money to hire PR firms to spread false information to journalists around the world, claiming that Sheikh Hasina’s press conference will not take place and that she will not participate”.
Sheik Hasina has announced her plans to return to Dhaka, at the year end. Controversial remarks have been floating across the political arena as top Bangladesh officials issued statements on her decision.
Bangladesh has repeatedly sought Hasina’s extradition from India. However, Hasina said she intends to return voluntarily rather than wait for extradition proceedings. She also expressed confidence that court proceedings would expose what she called a “farcical” judicial process.