DHAKA — A top prosecutor in Bangladesh has warned that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will face immediate execution if she follows through on her plans to return to the country this December.
Md Aminul Islam, the prosecutor who secured the death sentence against the 79-year-old deposed leader, told journalists on Tuesday that the window for contesting her conviction has officially closed.
“Sheikh Hasina has no option but to face the execution of the verdict,” Islam stated, emphasising that the statutory appeal period has expired and no further appeals can be filed.
The stern warning follows reports that Hasina, currently living in exile in India, intends to return home. In November 2025, a Dhaka court found her guilty in absentia on three counts of crimes against humanity—incitement, ordering killings, and failing to stop atrocities—stemming from the violent suppression of a 2024 student-led uprising. The United Nations estimates the crackdown killed as many as 1,400 people.
Hasina ignored court orders to attend the proceedings, dismissing the trial as a “jurisprudential joke.” A state-appointed lawyer represented her during the trial, which featured harrowing testimonies, including from a victim whose face was shattered by a bullet.
Despite the death sentence and numerous other pending cases, including corruption charges, Hasina has maintained her intention to return. She has acknowledged the risk of hanging but told AFP that “fear cannot decide” her “duty to the people.”
The logistics of her return, however, remain complicated. This week, her legal team requested the renewal of her passport without specifying travel dates or destinations. In response, prosecutor Islam noted that authorities may refuse to issue a passport to individuals convicted of severe crimes. He suggested an alternative route, stating, “If you genuinely wish to return to Bangladesh, you should write to the Indian authorities and seek to facilitate your return under the extradition treaty.”
Dhaka’s Foreign Ministry has formally requested Hasina’s extradition, though New Delhi maintains the request is still under legal review. Hasina originally fled to India by helicopter in August 2024 as massive crowds overran her official residence, abruptly ending her 15-year rule. Her continued stay in India has strained diplomatic ties between the neighbouring nations.
Reference: Al-Mayadeen