Bangladesh Minister Says Sheikh Hasina Will Be Jailed
Foreign Affairs Minister says ex-PM will face legal action if she returns to Bangladesh
GG News Bureau
Dhaka, 14th July: Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Tuesday said former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would be sent to jail if she returns to the country, asserting that legal proceedings would take their course irrespective of where she surrenders.
“Wherever Sheikh Hasina surrenders, whether in India or Bangladesh, she will have to go to jail first. The government has nothing to consider regarding the statements of a convicted individual,” the minister told reporters, according to state-run BSS.
The remarks came after Hasina, in a recent interview, said she plans to return to Bangladesh later this year despite the risks.
Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in India since her government was overthrown following student-led protests on August 5, 2024, said she would return “without any fear of death” and was prepared to face arrest or even death in her homeland.
The Foreign Affairs Minister alleged that Hasina’s recent statements were aimed at encouraging Awami League leaders and supporters who have gone into hiding or left Bangladesh following the political upheaval.
Last year, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia in a case related to alleged crimes against humanity during the crackdown on anti-government protests. The tribunal held her guilty on multiple charges, including allegedly ordering security forces to use lethal force against demonstrators.
Hasina has rejected the verdict, describing it as politically motivated and unconstitutional. She has maintained that the judicial process is being used to target the Awami League leadership and has termed the ban on her party illegal.
The 78-year-old former Prime Minister has repeatedly said she wishes to return to Bangladesh despite the possibility of arrest, stating that she wants to spend her final days in the country where her parents are buried.
Sheikh Hasina served as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister for nearly two decades before her government was ousted amid widespread protests in 2024.
