Sheikh Hasina has said she and senior Awami League colleagues plan to return to Bangladesh around December and surrender before the courts. Her proposed return could revive her party’s political campaign, but she faces immediate arrest, a death sentence and serious security risks.
Sheikh Hasina Plans Bangladesh Return: What Happens Next?
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has placed her possible return to Dhaka at the centre of the country’s political debate, two years after she resigned and fled to India during the August 2024 uprising.
Hasina recently said that she and several senior Awami League leaders intend to return from exile around December and surrender before the courts. However, no confirmed travel date, route or official security arrangement has been announced.
Her first live public appearance since her removal was scheduled through a virtual programme hosted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi on August 5. India said the programme was organised by a private organisation and that the Indian government had no involvement in it.
Hasina Faces Arrest Upon Arrival
Hasina’s return would begin with a legal confrontation rather than a conventional political homecoming. She was sentenced to death in absentia in 2025 over allegations connected to the deadly crackdown on the 2024 uprising, charges and proceedings that she has rejected.
Bangladesh officials have said she would be arrested and sent to prison if she enters the country. The government has also continued seeking her extradition from India, although New Delhi has not publicly announced a final decision on that request.
The legal procedure after her surrender remains uncertain. Her lawyers could seek appeals, retrial rights or other remedies, but her political activities would be severely restricted while she remained in custody.
Awami League Sees a Political Opening
The Awami League’s political activities have been banned, leaving one of Bangladesh’s largest and historically significant parties outside the formal electoral system. Hasina’s supporters believe her physical return could reunite the organisation and pressure the government to permit it to participate in future elections.
Her return could also energise opponents who blame her government for authoritarianism, suppression of dissent and the deaths during the 2024 protests. Bangladesh’s deeply divided political environment means that her arrival could trigger both large demonstrations of support and strong counter-protests.
Return Could Test Tarique Government
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government took office following the February 2026 election after an interim administration led Bangladesh for approximately 18 months. His administration would face intense domestic and international scrutiny over Hasina’s arrest, detention, safety and access to legal representation.
The government would also need to prevent political violence. Hasina has survived multiple assassination attempts during her long career, while the anger generated by the 2024 uprising remains strong among her opponents.
Political Outcome Remains Uncertain
Hasina’s return could help the Awami League regain organisational momentum, but it does not guarantee that the party’s ban will be lifted or that it will be allowed to contest elections.
Her public address and December plan signal that she has not withdrawn from politics. Yet whether she returns voluntarily, through an extradition process or after negotiations between India and Bangladesh remains unknown.
What is clear is that her arrival would open a new and potentially volatile chapter in Bangladesh’s politics. Predictions about political redemption, execution or an inevitable restoration of the Awami League remain speculative until the legal and political process unfolds.
