New Delhi: Exiled former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has declared she will not return home until her political party, the Awami League, is allowed to contest the upcoming national elections.
In her first public statement since fleeing Dhaka amid a violent student uprising in August 2024 that ended her 15-year rule, the 78-year-old leader told Reuters via email that barring her party from next year’s polls is “unjust” and undermines the legitimacy of the political system.
Hasina said she would remain in India until “a legitimate government is established in Dhaka,” warning that millions of Awami League supporters may boycott the election if the ban persists.
Ousted Bangladeshi PM #SheikhHasina, living freely yet cautiously in #Delhi due to her family’s violent history, says she longs to return home. “I’d love to go home,” Sheikh Hasina told foreign media, stressing she will only return when #Bangladesh has a legitimate government,… pic.twitter.com/1C1u4PbDkd
— The Statesman (@TheStatesmanLtd) October 30, 2025
The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, plans to hold elections in February 2026. But in May, the Election Commission suspended the Awami League’s registration, citing national security risks and pending war crimes probes against senior leaders.
Facing her own trial for alleged crimes against humanity linked to last year’s protest crackdown, Hasina rejected the charges as “politically motivated”, calling the court proceedings a “kangaroo trial” with a “foregone conclusion.” A verdict is due on November 13.
A UN report estimates that up to 1,400 people were killed during the unrest, mostly from security forces’ gunfire. Hasina denied any role in the violence or disappearances, claiming she was denied a fair defense.
Despite living “freely” in New Delhi, the ousted leader said she remains cautious, citing her family’s history—her father and three brothers were assassinated in a 1975 coup.
“I would love to go home,” she said, “but only when Bangladesh has a legitimate government, the constitution is upheld, and law and order truly prevails.”
Calling for a return to constitutional rule and stability, Hasina concluded, “The future of Bangladesh is not about me or my family—it’s about restoring democracy and the people’s voice.”
