Sheikh Hasina says determined to return to Bangladesh in December despite threat to life

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said that she is determined to return home in December to put the country on the “right track”, PTI reported.

During an audio-only virtual press conference held at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Delhi, Hasina said that she would return to Bangladesh to restore democracy despite the risk of imprisonment or even a death sentence.

This was Hasina’s first public media interaction after fleeing to Delhi in August 2024 amid widespread protests against her government.

Hasina also demanded that the ban on her party, the Awami League, be lifted and political prisoners be released. She urged the international community to support the people of Bangladesh in their struggle for democracy and justice.

Late on Wednesday night, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said that it was “outraged that the absconding convicted genocider Sheikh Hasina” was allowed to engage in live interaction with the media.

“Dhaka deeply regrets that in spite of concerns conveyed apriori to the Government of India about the likely ramifications of this event on the reset of our bilateral relations, this public event was permitted to be held,” the ministry said in a statement issued on Wednesday night.

The Indian foreign ministry has said that Hasina’s press conference was organised by a private media entity and the government has...

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