DHAKA — Ousted Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina will be jailed if she returns from exile in India and surrenders, a senior government official said on July 13, days after Hasina told Reuters she planned to come back in December.
Hasina, who has lived in New Delhi since August 2024, was sentenced to death in absentia in November by a war-crimes court for ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising. She denies the charges. Her party remains banned following the 2024 unrest, which the United Nations said left about 1,400 people dead.
“Sheikh Hasina is a convicted criminal. If she surrenders, action will be taken against her as per the laws of Bangladesh,” Shama Obaed Islam, state minister for foreign affairs, told reporters. “She will have to go to jail and further proceedings will follow as per the provisions of the law.” He described Hasina’s public call to return as an effort to mobilise fugitive party leaders and activists.
Bangladesh’s current government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman since February, is seeking stability after two years of political turmoil. Dhaka has formally sought Hasina’s extradition from India; New Delhi said in April it was reviewing the request and wanted to engage constructively with the new administration.
In a recent Reuters interview, Hasina said she intended to return voluntarily and urged party members abroad to come back and surrender to face charges. Authorities and supporters on both sides of the dispute say her return would be politically charged and could further test Bangladesh’s fragile post‑uprising environment.