Sheikh Hasina says she could be killed in Bangladesh. She still plans to return.

Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina said she plans to return to the country by December despite the possibility that she could be killed, arrested or imprisoned.

“I am fully aware of my fate. Still, I want to go back because my people are calling me,” Hasina told Agence France-Presse in an emailed response.

Hasina fled to India in August 2024 after a student-led uprising ended her 15-year rule. She has since lived at an undisclosed location.

A Dhaka court found her guilty of crimes against humanity in November and sentenced her to death. Hasina called the ruling political vengeance.

She denied authorizing excessive force during the uprising and said her government had tried to reach a peaceful solution. Asked whether she would apologize, Hasina expressed sympathy for victims’ families but offered no apology.