Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said she is not ruling out returning to Dhaka and remains committed to restoring democracy, asserting that political repression and bans cannot erase the legacy of the Awami League.
In a recorded telephonic interview with this author marking May 17, observed by her supporters as her “Homecoming Day”, Hasina reflected on her 1981 return to Bangladesh after six years of exile and drew parallels with the present political climate. “May 17 is a deeply emotional and unforgettable day for me. After six years of exile, I returned to Bangladesh on this day in 1981,” she said. “Even then, there were conspiracies against me. There were threats to my life. I returned home, ignoring every conspiracy and the threatening gaze of the rulers. Millions of people came out to the streets that day.” The interview first appeared in the English daily ‘Millennium Post’.
Asked whether a return in 2027 was realistic if 2026 proved difficult, Hasina said her comeback could not be reduced to a timeline alone. “The question of return does not depend only on a fixed date. We are working to restore the democratic environment in Bangladesh, ensure freedom of expression, protect political rights, and bring back the rule of law,” she said. “My absence does not mean my silence. We are active diplomatically, through international legal channels, and in the global media.” She added: “I will return with my head held high, with the pride of restoring democracy in the country.”
Hasina declared: “The Awami League will return, democracy will return. Every leader and activist of the Awami League will continue the struggle to build a democratic, inclusive, extremism-free, happy, and prosperous Bangladesh.”
On the ban imposed on the Awami League, Hasina said the party’s history itself was proof that political suppression could not destroy it. “The love of the people is my greatest strength. All my life, I have worked for the welfare of the people of Bangladesh, whether in government or in opposition,” she said.
Referring to the Bangladesh liberation struggle, she said: “In 1971, the then-Pakistani government banned the Awami League. If bans could suppress the Awami League, Bangladesh itself would never have been born.” The former prime minister then brought the current political climate into context, adding, “This ban is a temporary display of force by those in power, but in reality, it reflects their fear. They are afraid of the Awami League because if the Awami League can carry out regular political activities, it will become difficult for them to continue their anti-state activities.”
Responding to discussions about “organisational purification” within the Awami League, Hasina insisted that reform within the party was an internal democratic process. “The Awami League is a democratic party. Ideological workers are the lifeblood of this party, and they are the ones who determine its leadership,” she said. “Whether you call it purification, reform, or renewal, it is a natural and regular process. This applies to every political party in the world.”
She added that allegations against party leaders had been dealt with seriously, even during her tenure in power. “Even while in power, ministers and MPs of the Awami League who were involved in wrongdoing were brought before the law.”
At the same time, she accused political opponents of trying to weaken the party in the name of reform. “I want to say clearly that the Awami League has the capacity to purify itself,” she said. “This purification will take place through the party’s internal democratic process and through accountability to party workers and the people. It will not happen according to the prescription of conspirators.”
Speaking about Awami League leaders who left Bangladesh after August 2024, Hasina rejected the suggestion that they had voluntarily escaped. “I disagree with the word ‘fled’ because none of them left voluntarily,” she said.
She then alleged widespread repression against party workers and leaders. “Since August 5, 2024, the state persecution that has descended upon Awami League leaders and activists is rare not only in the history of Bangladesh, but in world history,” she claimed.
According to Hasina, nearly 600 of our leaders and activists have been brutally killed, while around 1.5 lakh leaders and activists have been arrested in false cases at different levels. She further said, “Thousands of leaders and activists are still in prison. Around 150 leaders and activists have been killed inside jail. Prisoners are not being given even the minimum legal rights. The oppressive ruling group is not even allowing people to attend the funeral prayers of their loved ones.”
On the arrest of Awami League leaders, journalists and intellectuals, Hasina alleged that “the judiciary of the country has turned into a political weapon”. “Supreme Court judges were forced to resign under mob pressure. People appointed to the Supreme Court and the High Court are those who implement a party’s agenda.” According to her, “Lawyers are being attacked when they stand in court for our leaders and activists.”
On the economy, Hasina defended the development record of her administration, citing projects such as the Padma Bridge, Metro rail, Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Matarbari Deep Sea Port, Karnaphuli Tunnel and Bangabandhu Satellite. “Bangladesh became known around the world as a role model of development and as the rising tiger of Asia,” she added.
The former prime minister accused the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus of destroying the economy after taking power. “The country’s economy is now facing a frightening situation. There is a crisis of electricity, oil, gas, fertiliser, and even irrigation,” she said. “I can say with certainty that if I had been in charge of the government, this situation would not have arisen in the first place. On the other hand, Yunus seized power for his own interest.”
On the deaths of children due to measles, Hasina said: “The death of every child breaks my heart. I am a mother.” Calling the situation tragic, she said: “The most unfortunate thing is that these children are dying from a disease we had almost brought to the point of elimination. If everything had remained on track, we would have declared Bangladesh measles-free in 2026.”
She highlighted her government’s vaccination programme conducted through the EPI initiative in coordination with UNICEF and GAVI. “Bangladesh’s vaccination program was a model for the world,” she said. “In recognition of that, I received the GAVI Vaccine Hero award.”
Questioning the present administration, Hasina asked: “Even though there was sufficient allocation in the budget, why was the vaccination program disrupted? Why is there a shortage of medical supplies in hospitals? Where did the Tk 42,000 crore in the budget go?”
According to Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Health Services data, on May 16, the number of deaths linked to measles and measles-like symptoms had climbed to 451.
On foreign policy, Hasina reiterated the principle that guided her government. “The foundation of our foreign policy is friendship to all, malice towards none,” she said. “The purpose of this friendship is public welfare, and its foundation is fairness and equality.”
She accused anti-liberation forces in Bangladesh of weaponising anti-India politics. “In our country, anti-India politics has always been one of the main weapons of anti-liberation groups who have no ideological foundation,” she said. “That is why they constantly practice anti-India rhetoric for narrow political purposes.”
Hasina also defended her government’s agreements with India, saying opponents had never been able to prove allegations of “anti-state agreements”. She pointed out the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, maritime boundary settlement, land boundary agreement and India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline as examples of bilateral achievements.
Seeking international support, Hasina said: “I seek the cooperation of all democratic states and organisations in the world. What is happening in Bangladesh today is not merely an internal matter of one country. It is connected with fundamental human rights and democratic values.”
Warning of wider consequences, she added: “If democracy fails in Bangladesh, if a fundamentalist state is established, if the culture of lawlessness continues, then the 18 crore people of Bangladesh will suffer. Its impact will also fall on regional and global security.”
