Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted from power in August 2024 after widespread protests, said in a virtual press conference on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) that neither fear nor worries about her personal safety would stop her from going back to her country.
Addressing a media event organized by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi, Hasina stated that she was resolute about returning, even though she might face imprisonment or potentially more severe consequences.
I will go back to my people," Hasina said, noting that she would disclose the precise date and arrangements for her return when the moment was appropriate.
She said, "I understand they might imprison me or even kill me anything could happen but I still have to return."
She stated that members of her party, the Awami League, have faced persecution and have been killed, and she urged that the ban on the party be removed.
She described India as a nation that has "always been a friend" and noted its support for Bangladesh during the crises of 1971 and 1975.
The event, marking the second anniversary of her 2024 removal from office, was Hasina's first engagement with the media since she left Bangladesh.
While she had been expected to join via video, she instead delivered an audio only address from behind a blank screen. The reason she chose not to appear on camera was not immediately known, especially given that several Awami League leaders and her son had spoken on video earlier.
Awami League activists stated that Ms. Hasina will not travel through a third country to reach Dhaka, and that she will seek authorization from Indian authorities in December before beginning her journey.
Ms. Hasina recalled that she and her mother were jailed in 1971 during the Liberation War and that she lost the majority of her relatives in 1975. She stated that she has endured several periods of imprisonment and survived 19 assassination attempts.
She characterized the 2024 protesters as organized groups operating under a carefully crafted plan.
“Fear has permeated households, offices, and universities. This is not the Bangladesh we created,” Ms. Hasina said, blaming the interim government and the current administration led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for the deterioration of law and order in the country.
The government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, which assumed power following the February elections, issued a warning to the national media on Tuesday not to disseminate her remarks, stating that such publication would breach a 2024 court ruling that bans the release or broadcast of her speeches and statements.
Later that day, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry condemned the event in a post on X, describing it as "an insult to the sovereignty of Bangladesh."
It stated that giving her any chance to freely engage with the media for any reason is profoundly distressing, adding that Bangladesh is furious.
The government has designated August 5 as a public holiday to commemorate those who lost their lives in the student-led uprising.
Dhaka has made multiple requests for Hasina’s extradition from India. New Delhi has acknowledged receiving the request and stated that it is currently under review.
Relations between the neighbouring countries have stayed tense since her removal from office, though both sides have lately indicated a readiness to strengthen their relationship.