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Bangladesh has welcomed Sheikh Hasina's reported plan to return and face court proceedings. The government says the tribunal process will stay transparent even as the death sentence draws sharp political scrutiny.
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Dhaka,UPDATED: Jul 14, 2026 17:38 IST
Bangladesh's government on Tuesday said it "welcomes" deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's reported plan to return home, saying she must face the legal process in a case in which she has been sentenced to death in absentia. The remarks came amid reports that Hasina could return to Bangladesh by the end of this year.
Prime Minister's adviser for information and strategy Zahed Ur Rahman said, "We welcome her announcement as we want to ensure justice," and added that the government was under no pressure over her planned return. He also said proceedings at the Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh would remain transparent and could be monitored by observers and broadcast through video coverage.
Rahman said, "the people of the country want her death penalty to be upheld for the crimes she committed, and in that case her capital punishment will be executed as the people want to see that". He added, "Let her bring the best lawyers in the world." At the same time, he said the court could also revise the verdict against Hasina or acquit her, adding, "That too could happen." There have been previous instances in which rulings of the ICT-BD, formed during the Awami League regime in 2010, were stayed or overturned.
Hasina, 78, the daughter of Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, has been living in India since she fled Dhaka after her government was toppled in a violent student-led street protest on August 5, 2024. Rahman said "procedural issues will not debar her return" and that Delhi could make arrangements after consulting Dhaka on the matter.
In November last year, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for alleged "crimes against humanity" over her government's brutal crackdown on student-led protests in 2024. Hasina has dismissed the death penalty, criminal convictions and charges against her as "politically motivated". Since the verdict, Dhaka has been urging New Delhi to extradite her to face the law, while also saying her return can be arranged and the case will proceed through the courts.
With PTI Inputs
- Ends
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jul 14, 2026 17:38 IST
