Sheikh Hasina breaks silence, to hold presser on Aug 5 to reveal homecoming plans
On 2nd year anniversary of her ouster, deposed Bangladesh PM addresses press virtually from Delhi, says she plans to return home by December despite death sentence
Deposed Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to hold her first virtual Q&A session with the press in New Delhi this Wednesday (August 5), where she is expected to outline her plans for returning home.
The event coincides exactly with the two-year anniversary of her sudden departure from Dhaka following the collapse of her administration.
Hasina has been living in self-exile in India since August 5, 2024, when widespread student-led demonstrations forced the Awami League regime from power. Her upcoming presser is anticipated to strain relations with the current Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government, which has been actively pursuing her extradition.
Event details
According to organisers, the 78-year-old former leader will address the press conference virtually at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club on the evening of August 5 to "announce her homecoming and outline her vision for Bangladesh".
While Hasina has previously given email interviews and addressed online forums, including a Foreign Correspondents' Club presser in January, this will mark her first live question-and-answer session since fleeing the country.
Also read: Sheikh Hasina plans December return to Bangladesh, says she will surrender
The event will also feature speeches from several prominent figures, appearing either in person or virtually like Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Hasina’s son; Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, former education minister; Shakib Al Hasan, former international cricketer and Member of Parliament, Mahammad Ali Siddique and Shah Mohammad Bakhtiar of Bangladesh Human Rights Watch and Aminul Hoque Polash (security analyst) and Abu Obaidha Arin (counter-terrorism analyst).
Legal challenges
Hasina currently faces a death sentence in Dhaka, handed down by a tribunal that found her responsible for ordering lethal force against student demonstrators.
Despite the sentence, she indicated in recent interviews that she plans to return to Bangladesh by December to surrender to the judicial system. However, Bangladesh law minister M Asaduzzaman recently noted that she would likely face immediate arrest upon crossing the border.
Diplomatic hurdles
Her continued stay in India remains a major diplomatic hurdle between New Delhi and Dhaka. In Bangladesh, local media outlets are strictly prohibited from broadcasting or publishing her statements.
Furthermore, while the Awami League's political activities remain restricted under national anti-terrorism laws, multiple party figures have hinted at plans to return to the country this year in an effort to rebuild the political faction.
In a recent interview, Hasina emphasised that her homecoming depends heavily on the re-establishment of a "democratic environment, freedom of expression, political rights, and the restoration of the rule of law," which she argues are vital to safeguarding Bangladesh's sovereignty and public welfare.