Sheikh Hasina Vows Return to Bangladesh by December Despite Risks

Bangladesh's fugitive ex-premier Sheikh Hasina told AFP she was determined to return to her country by December despite fearing for her life. "I may be killed. I may be arrested. I may be sent to prison," Hasina, 78, said in an emailed response to questions by AFP. 

"I am fully aware of my fate. Still, I want to go back because my people are calling me." Toppled in August 2024 by a student-led uprising that ended her 15-year, iron-fisted rule, Hasina fled by



helicopter to India as crowds stormed her palace.

The United Nations says up to 1,400 people were killed in crackdowns as she tried to cling to power. In November, Hasina was found guilty by a Dhaka court of crimes against humanity and sentenced to be hanged -- a verdict she described as "political vengeance dressed up as law". The former prime minister, who has been living in a secret location in India, insisted there was no pressure for her to return.