Exiled Bangladeshi Leader Plans Comeback Despite Death Sentence

WHO:

NPR - Sheikh Hasina, the ousted Bangladeshi leader, served five terms as Bangladesh's prime minister.

NPR - Sajeeb Wazed, Hasina's son, joined her announcement via video link from Washington, D.C.

NPR - Ali Riaz, a professor of political science at Illinois State University, provided commentary on the situation.

WHAT:

CNN - Hasina called for the ban on her Awami League party to be lifted and for political prisoners to be released.

BBC News - Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated a memorial museum dedicated to the 2024 uprising, named the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum, housed in Hasina’s former official residence in Dhaka.

BBC News - The July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum features audio and video exhibits on the uprising, personal belongings of those killed, and newspaper clippings from the time.

NPR - Sheikh Hasina plans to return to Bangladesh despite being sentenced to death by a tribunal in Dhaka in 2025 for alleged crimes against humanity.

NPR - Hasina stated, "Whatever fate awaits me, I will return to my people."

NPR - The United Nations reported that nearly 1,400 people died during the protests in 2024.

NPR - Hasina intends to return to Bangladesh in December.

WHERE:

NPR - Hasina made her announcement at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi.

NPR - The protests occurred in Bangladesh.

WHEN:

BBC News - The project for the museum was launched by the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, who took office on August 8, 2024, three days after Hasina’s ouster.

NPR - Hasina fled Bangladesh by helicopter following weeks of protests in 2024.

NPR - Hasina's speech marked the second anniversary of her ouster.

WHY:

NPR - Hasina blames the violence during the protests on the protesters, claiming it was a "coordinated assault on the constitutional order."

NPR - Analysts, including Ali Riaz, argue that the uprising was a response to Hasina's long-standing rule and the violent crackdown by her government.

HOW:

NPR - Hasina's Awami League party was banned following her departure from Bangladesh.

(UPDATED August 6, 2026 05:07 UTC)

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has inaugurated the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum, which is located in Hasina’s former official residence in Dhaka and showcases audio and video exhibits, personal belongings of those who lost their lives, and newspaper clippings from the uprising. In a related development, Hasina has called for the ban on her Awami League party to be lifted and for the release of political prisoners. The museum project was initiated by the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, who took office on August 8, 2024, just three days after Hasina’s ouster.

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(UPDATED August 5, 2026 23:55 UTC)

Sheikh Hasina, the ousted leader of Bangladesh who served five terms as prime minister, announced her intention to return to Bangladesh in December despite being sentenced to death for alleged crimes against humanity. During her speech at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi, Hasina declared, "Whatever fate awaits me, I will return to my people," while her son, Sajeeb Wazed, joined her via video link from Washington, D.C. The United Nations has reported that nearly 1,400 people died during the protests in 2024, which Hasina attributes to a "coordinated assault on the constitutional order" by the protesters.