Bangladesh has said it would welcome the return of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as it insists that she must go through the country's legal system if her return would have to go through the country's legal process after she was sentenced to death in absentia for crimes related to the 2024 anti-government demonstrations.
Hasina has lived in India since August 2024 when she fled Bangladesh from the collapse of her Awami League government amid a mass student-led uprising. Last week, reports said that she is planning to return to Dhaka at the end of 2026 to rebuild her party and face the charges against her.
Bangladesh says Hasina should face trial
Asked about Hasina's imminent return, Zahed Ur Rahman, adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, said the government would guarantee a fair and transparent legal process for Hasina's return. "We welcome her announcement as we want to ensure justice," Rahman said, adding that Hasina should bring "the best lawyers in the world" to defend herself before the International Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh (ICT-BD).
Rahman also said court proceedings would be transparent and could be monitored by observers or broadcast publicly. The tribunal could uphold, modify, or even overturn its verdict based on the legal proceedings, Rahman said. However, he added that many people in Bangladesh wanted the death sentence against Hasina to remain in place if she is ultimately found guilty under the law.
Death Sentence and Charges
In November 2025, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia after convicting her of alleged crimes against humanity related to the government’s crackdown on student-led protests in 2024.
Hasina has consistently rejected the verdict and all criminal charges, saying that they are politically motivated.
After conviction, Bangladesh formally requested that India extradite the former prime minister to stand trial and serve any sentence imposed by the courts.
India's Position Remains Unchanged
India has taken a wait-and-see approach to reports of Hasina’s return, saying its position has not changed. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said any request for extradition would be handled strictly under the applicable legal framework.
"There is no change in our approach to the matter. Any extradition matter is a legal issue, and it will be dealt with accordingly," he said.
India-Bangladesh Relations
The relations between Delhi and Dhaka deteriorated drastically after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government and the installation of an interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus in 2024.
There have been signs of progress in diplomatic relations in recent months. In February 2026, India was represented at the swearing-in of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, signifying both sides’ efforts to improve relations.
If Sheikh Hasina returns to Bangladesh in the future, it is likely to become one of the country’s most closely watched political and legal developments with huge implications for domestic politics and India-Bangladesh relations.
