New Delhi: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday announced that she intends to return to Bangladesh in December, though the exact date will be disclosed later, as she called for lifting the ban on the Awami League and accused the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of suppressing democracy during her first press conference since being ousted from power in 2024.
Addressing the media through an audio link, Hasina said she was prepared to face imprisonment or even death upon her return. “I know they may put me in prison. They may kill me. But fear cannot decide my duty to my people,” she said, adding that her return and that of the Awami League “is not about power. It is about putting Bangladesh on the right track.”
Asked about the exact date of her return, she replied, “The date will be told to you when the right time comes.”
The press conference was organised at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia (FCC South Asia) in New Delhi. While Hasina and her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy addressed journalists only through audio, a few senior Awami League leaders attended the event and answered questions.
Rejecting the narrative around the 2024 quota protests, Hasina said, “It was not a peaceful student movement.” She claimed, “My government tried to resolve the issue through dialogue right from the beginning,” but alleged that “false propaganda on the quota system was spread” and “students were manipulated.”
She further asserted that “there was no visible leadership of the protest,” claiming it was “organised to create a different power system.”
Targeting the interim administration, Hasina alleged that the Yunus government had “stopped investigations” into the violence and “gave indemnity to those who killed.” Questioning the government’s intent, she asked, “If they had nothing to hide, why protect killers?” She also alleged that Awami League leaders had been killed, forcibly disappeared or implicated in criminal cases, while ordinary citizens and freedom fighters had also been targeted.
Describing the current situation in Bangladesh, Hasina said, “Fear has entered homes and workplaces,” adding, “This is not the Bangladesh for which people sacrificed their lives in 1971.”
She claimed women and children were being tortured and that “extortion and murders have become a norm.” Calling on the international community to intervene, she demanded that the ban on the Awami League be lifted, political prisoners be released, and media and judicial freedom be restored.
Responding to questions, Sajeeb Wazed Joy said the Awami League was not in communication with Bangladesh’s current government. Referring to Hasina’s stay in India, he said, “Prime Minister Modi’s government has shown the utmost respect for her. I am eternally grateful for that.” Hasina herself described India as “a great friend” that had “always stood with us.”
Hasina fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, after weeks of student-led protests over the quota system escalated into a nationwide anti-government movement, ending her more than 15 years in power. An interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus subsequently assumed office. Since then, several Awami League leaders have faced legal action, while the party has been subjected to restrictions.
The press conference came despite objections from Bangladesh’s interim government. Ahead of the event, India’s Ministry of External Affairs clarified that it had no role in organising the programme and described it as a private event.