Sheikh Hasina, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh, has declared she will return to her country this year despite a death sentence handed down in absentia and a ban on her Awami League party. In an email interview with Indian broadcaster NDTV from an undisclosed location in India, Hasina said the verdict was “part of an illegal, unconstitutional and politically motivated process” and that her return was tied to restoring democracy rather than personal ambition. The announcement marked her most defiant statement since fleeing Dhaka in August 2024 following a student-led uprising that ended her 15-year rule.

Hasina’s posture sets up a direct confrontation with the administration of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, which came to power in a February landslide and has pursued legal action against her for crimes against humanity. A Dhaka court in November convicted her of incitement and inaction over atrocities, sentencing her to death. Bangladesh has repeatedly demanded India extradite her, and authorities have enforced a nationwide ban on the Awami League, with dozens of party supporters detained during foundation-day events last week. According to Hasina, the crackdown has also fuelled attacks on religious minorities, which she linked to a betrayal of the country’s secular founding ideals.

The standoff has complicated bilateral ties between New Delhi and Dhaka. India has sheltered Hasina since her ouster, drawing sharp criticism in Bangladesh and fuelling anti-India sentiment. However, the newly appointed Indian High Commissioner, Dinesh Trivedi, announced on Thursday the resumption of tourist visas for Bangladeshis—a service suspended since August 2024—in a move widely seen as a confidence-building gesture. The decision, covering five processing centres, came as Prime Minister Rahman was on a state visit to Beijing, a trip that analysts in the region interpreted as a signal to New Delhi of Dhaka’s alternative diplomatic options. Prior to the suspension, more than two million Bangladeshis visited India annually, accounting for over a fifth of all foreign tourist arrivals and the majority of India’s medical visa recipients.

The Awami League’s status remains a central fault line. Hasina insisted the party is not merely a paper organization but a “political force rooted in the soil of Bengal,” predicting it would rise again as it had after previous bans. The government in Dhaka, however, views the party as a vehicle for Hasina’s alleged crimes and has excluded it from electoral processes. With Hasina vowing to return “this year” and no formal timeline given, the dossier remains open. The visa resumption signals a limited thaw, but extradition friction persists, and any attempt by Hasina to cross the border would risk triggering a new diplomatic crisis. The next moves are likely to play out in Dhaka’s courts and through back-channel diplomacy.