Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, called for the lifting of the ban on her Awami League party during a press conference in Delhi on Wednesday [1].
This address marks the first time the 78-year-old leader [1] has spoken publicly from exile since being forced from power. Her demand to resume political activity and her announced return date signal a potential shift in the political tension between her exiled faction and the current administration in Bangladesh.
Speaking from Delhi, Hasina said she remained connected to her citizens despite her physical absence from the country. "I speak as someone who has spent her life with the people of Bangladesh and was forced away from my country, but I was never separated from my people," she said [4].
The former leader has lived in exile in India since fleeing Bangladesh on Aug. 5, 2024 [3]. That departure followed a student-led uprising that ended her 15-year rule [3]. Hasina has now spent nearly two years in India [2].
During the event, Hasina addressed the legal restrictions currently facing her political organization. She said the ban on the Awami League should be lifted [1]. She further announced her intention to return to Bangladesh in December 2026 [1].
Hasina's emotional address focused on her long-term relationship with the Bangladeshi public, a bond she maintains was not severed by her forced departure. Her return in December would represent a significant challenge to the stability of the current government, given the circumstances of her exit in 2024.
“"The ban on the Awami League should be lifted and I will return to Bangladesh in December."”
Sheikh Hasina's announcement of a December return and her demand to reinstate the Awami League suggest a strategy to transition from passive exile to active political contention. By framing her exile as a physical separation rather than a political one, she is attempting to maintain her legitimacy among the electorate. Her return could either trigger a negotiated political settlement or ignite renewed civil unrest, depending on how the current Bangladeshi government responds to her presence on soil.
