"I Will Return To My Country This Year": Sheikh Hasina Exclusive

It's been almost two years since Sheikh Hasina was hounded out of the country that her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, had carved out of a belligerent Pakistan. Facing death penalty and her Awami League party banned in Bangladesh, things can't get worse for the former prime minister.

But she remains unfazed, just like decorated American General Douglas MacArthur. "I'll be back home this year," declared the Awami League leader from exile, declaring her party is not merely an organisation but a "force". Any attack on the minorities is an attack on the independence of Bangladesh, she stressed.

Awami League marked its 77th Founding Day last Tuesday (June 23) in defiance of a nationwide ban. Dozens of its activists were arrested amid tight security.

The exiled leader, in an exclusive email interview with NDTV, spoke on all things Bangladesh. Here's a transcript of the interview:

Question: You have often indicated-and your supporters are upbeat-about your possible return to Bangladesh soon, with some leaders suggesting it could happen within this year. How realistic is this, given the death penalty against you?

Hasina: My return is not a question of personal ambition. It is tied to a far larger question: the political rights of the people of Bangladesh, the restoration of democracy, the rule of law, and the spirit of our Liberation War. I do not do politics for power. I do politics for the welfare of the people of Bangladesh and for the fulfilment of the dream of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to build a Sonar Bangla.

The verdict against me is not justice. It is part of an illegal, unconstitutional, and politically motivated process. The judiciary has been turned into an instrument of political revenge to make the Awami League leaderless. Such attempts have been made before. They failed then, and they will fail again.

Read: "Highly Inaccurate": Sheikh Hasina On UN Report On Bangladesh Protest Death Count

I do not fear death. In 1975, I lost my parents, my brothers, and almost my entire family. On 21 August, there was an attempt to kill me with grenades. Many conspiracies have been hatched against me. But breaking through every web of conspiracy, I stood beside the people of Bangladesh. I was elected Prime Minister five times by the people's vote and worked for the country's unprecedented development. Almost my entire life has been tied to the people of Bangladesh, to the Awami League, to the democratic struggle, and to the development of Bangladesh. So, I want to say clearly: overcoming every obstacle and every conspiracy, I will return to my country this year.

Question: There are signs the Awami League may be regaining support amid perceived gaps in the Bangladesh government. Does the party have the organisational strength to turn this into political success?

Hasina: The Awami League is not a paper organisation. It is a political force rooted in the soil of Bengal, in the people of Bengal, in the history of Bengal, and in the identity of the Bengali nation. In its 77-year journey, the Awami League has been attacked many times, has shed blood many times, and has been banned many times. But each time, it has risen again through the strength of the people.

The return of the Awami League does not depend on anyone else's failure or weakness. The Awami League creates its own path with the people. Public support has always been with us. With that strength, when we were in government, we worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the people. Anti-Bangladesh forces removed the Awami League from state power through a conspiratorial and meticulously designed movement by misleading a section of the people. But despite all their efforts, they could not erase the Awami League from the hearts of the people.

Under the illegal, unconstitutional, and occupying interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, and now under the BNP government formed through a staged election, people are seeing the reality with their own eyes. There is no democracy. There is no rule of law. There is no security. The economy has weakened. Minorities are under attack. Extremism is spreading. Awami League leaders and activists are facing unimaginable state persecution. People know how to compare. They understand that when the Awami League is in government, the country has stability, development, and security for people's lives and property.

As for organisational strength, the Awami League knows every lane and bylane of Bangladesh's politics like the palm of its hand. Under the leadership of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, this party gave birth to Bangladesh. We have led every democratic movement in the country. The ability to turn people's support and aspirations into political reality is in the DNA of the Awami League. Gold becomes purer in fire. In the same way, oppression and persecution by rulers are making the Awami League stronger every day.

Read: Sheikh Hasina Slams 'Engineered Vote' As BNP Sweeps Bangladesh Polls

My message to our leaders, activists, and supporters on the party's 77th year is simple: stay united and stand beside the people. Deepen your bond with people in every village, every neighbourhood, every ward, and every union. Stand beside the persecuted. Be uncompromising on the security and dignity of minorities, women, children, working people, the poor, and the marginalised. The politics of the Awami League is not for revenge. It is the politics of rights, security, dignity, and development. The Awami League was with the people, is with the people, and will remain with the people. Through the strength of the people, the Awami League will rise again.

Question: With the ban on the Awami League still in place and thousands of cases reportedly filed against its leaders and workers, how feasible is a political recovery for the party in the near term?

Hasina: The political recovery of the Awami League does not depend on the favour of any government. It depends on the people. Through an illegal ban, they may have kept the Awami League out of a staged election. They may have closed party offices. They may have temporarily suppressed political activities. But they have not been able to erase the Awami League from the hearts of the people. That is why the Awami League has already begun to rise again.

Despite all the torture and repression by law enforcement agencies, processions in support of the Awami League are taking place every day in different districts, upazilas, unions, and localities across the country. Alongside Awami League workers and supporters, ordinary people are joining these processions spontaneously. Mothers are standing beside their children, giving them courage and support. These are signs that the Awami League is rising again.

The conduct of the present government itself proves that they fear the organisational strength of the Awami League. That is why they deployed the army, BGB (Border Guards Bangladesh), and police to stop the Awami League's founding anniversary programmes. This is a sign of their weakness. The Awami League cannot be suppressed by force. A party that can create a people's awakening cannot be stopped through fear and intimidation. History teaches us that the Awami League never fears the angry glare of rulers. It defies that glare and raises the flag of victory.

To ensure a proper democratic environment and stability in Bangladesh, the illegal ban on the Awami League must be withdrawn. False cases must be withdrawn. Political prisoners must be released. Peaceful political activity must be allowed. But if those now occupying power continue to block even this minimum democratic path, the anger, pain, and democratic aspirations accumulating among the people will create a new path for the Awami League.

Question: You have said that, following your removal from power, Bangladesh has lost its foundational character and moved towards a model similar to Pakistan. Could you elaborate on what you mean by this transformation?

Hasina: I have never opposed normal diplomatic relations with any country. For the welfare of the people, Bangladesh will maintain friendly relations with all. Our foreign policy has always been clear: friendship to all, malice to none. But that relationship must be maintained while keeping intact the fundamental principles of the state and the spirit of the Liberation War.

Bangladesh was born through a struggle against military rule, discrimination, repression, communal politics, and the denial of democracy. Under the leadership of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the state we built was founded on nationalism, democracy, social justice, and secularism. To weaken that foundation is to strike at the very identity of Bangladesh.

Read: "Voterless, Illegal": Sheikh Hasina Wants Bangladesh Election Cancelled

After August 5, we saw an all-out assault on the spirit of the Liberation War. Freedom fighters were humiliated with garlands of shoes. Liberation War memorials were vandalised across the country. The slogan 'Joy Bangla' was treated as a crime. The residence of the Father of the Nation was attacked repeatedly. Minority communities came under attack. Temples were vandalised. Sufi shrines and cultural institutions were targeted. Anti-terrorism activities were weakened, creating space for extremism to spread. In other words, every arrangement has been made to turn Bangladesh into a failed state.

On the other hand, during the Awami League's time in government, we built a Bangladesh of stability, confidence, and measurable progress. In 2023, Bangladesh recorded GDP growth of 7.25 per cent and per capita income reached USD 2,793. Bangladesh became the 35th largest economy in the world, advancing by 29 places. Foreign exchange reserves increased 36 times. Investment as a share of GDP reached 32.05 per cent. Foreign direct investment rose fivefold to USD 3.48 billion.

We reduced poverty to 18.7 per cent and extreme poverty to 5.6 per cent. Food grain production increased four times. Infant mortality declined four times. Power generation capacity increased eight times, and 100 per cent of the population received electricity. The literacy rate reached 78.5 per cent. Women's participation in the workforce rose to 43.44 per cent. We established 14,984 community clinics to bring healthcare to the doorsteps of the people.

We rehabilitated landless and homeless families with dignity. About 42,80,115 people were given ownership of houses with two decimals of land completely free of cost. Through mega projects such as the Padma Bridge, the metro rail, the Karnaphuli Tunnel, expressways, Digital Bangladesh, the Bangabandhu Satellite, we turned Bangladesh into a global role model of development. We proved that if the Bengali nation gets opportunity, a peaceful environment, and honest leadership, it can stand tall on its own strength.

After August 5, the way Bangladesh's development journey has been destroyed, and the way a reign of militancy and terror has been established, only the Awami League can free the country from that situation. The people have understood this. The Awami League would win if allowed to contest in a free, fair, and inclusive election. Yunus and anti-Bangladesh political forces know this very well. That is why illegal interim government knowingly and deliberately banned the activities of the Awami League, kept it outside the election process, and destroyed the democratic political tradition of the country. This is the failed-state model that has been established in Bangladesh after August 5.

Read: As Bangladesh Readies For Polls, Worry Among Sheikh Hasina Supporters

Question: There have been reports of backchannel discussions between BNP leadership and you regarding lifting the ban on the Awami League and ensuring a fair trial. Is there any truth to these claims?

Hasina: Conspirators often spread such propaganda deliberately to confuse the people. My position is very clear. Bangladesh's democracy, the political rights of the Awami League, the voting rights of the people, and justice are not matters for secret bargaining. They are constitutional rights of the people.

Withdrawing the ban on the Awami League is not a favour. It is a minimum requirement in any democratic state. Justice is not charity either. It is a fundamental right. If there is a case against a citizen, a political leader, or a political party, it must proceed through an independent, impartial, and lawful judicial process. Justice cannot be delivered through politically directed tribunals, fabricated cases, forced testimony obtained through intimidation, or pressure on the judiciary.

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I have always supported a political solution. But that solution must be open, principled, and based on the aspirations of the people. It cannot be based on secret deals. The Awami League does not seek political mercy from anyone. The Awami League will do politics on the basis of constitutional rights, public support, and the strength of the people.

Question: How do you view the recent reports of attacks on temples and members of the Hindu minority community, along with protests and threats from certain Islamist groups?

Hasina: This is extremely painful and deeply worrying. Sadly, it is not an isolated matter. In Bangladesh, whenever the forces of the Liberation War have been weakened, whenever communal forces have captured or influenced state power, terrible persecution has descended upon minority communities. Their homes, places of worship, businesses, lives, and dignity have all come under threat.

Since August 5, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, indigenous communities, Ahmadis, and people associated with Sufi shrines have all been unsafe. Temples have been vandalised. Idols have been broken. Homes have been looted. Extortion, violence against women, and obstruction of religious ceremonies have continued. The most frightening part is that, like the illegal interim government, the current BNP government has also denied these incidents or dismissed them as political propaganda. This culture of denial has emboldened the criminals. Chinmoy Krishna Das, who spoke for minority rights, is still in prison in a false case. This itself proves that although the government has changed, the fate of minorities in Bangladesh has not changed.

Read: 'Yunus A Murderous Fascist': Sheikh Hasina In 1st Public Address In Exile

I want to say clearly: minorities are not a vote bank. They are citizens of Bangladesh with equal dignity. In the great Liberation War of 1971, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, and people of all communities fought shoulder to shoulder, rising above religion, caste, and identity, to make the country independent. Bangabandhu dreamt of a non-communal Bangladesh where people of all religions would live with equal rights. That Bangladesh cannot be allowed to become hostage to communal aggression and extremism.

Those who attack minorities, vandalise temples, or threaten people in the name of religion are not merely enemies of one community. They are the enemies of the spirit of Bangladesh's independence. A state fails when a citizen lives in fear because of his or her religious identity. Today, many minority families are living with that fear. They are being forced to protest simply to demand security. This is a shame for independent Bangladesh.

The security of minorities must be ensured. Attacks on temples and places of worship must be brought to justice. The state must take a firm stand against the threats of communal groups. Those who peacefully speak for minority rights should not face false cases or harassment. They should be heard. Ensuring religious freedom, equal rights, and security is a fundamental duty of the state. Failure in this duty is not only an internal problem for Bangladesh. It is also a concern for the stability and human values of South Asia.

Question: Your stay in India-how have you been managing this phase personally? Do you get to see your daughter often, or has life in exile been largely constrained?

Hasina: For a very long time, I have hardly had anything called a personal life. I have dedicated my life to the people of Bangladesh. In 1975, I lost everything. Even then, I had to spend a long period in exile. Later, I returned to the country and fought to establish democracy. Today, Bangladesh is once again passing through a difficult moment. It pains me deeply that at this critical time for the country, I could not be there. I was not allowed that opportunity.

I have normal contact with my family members. But my heart remains in Bangladesh: in the land where my father rests, in the country where the blood of my family is mixed with the soil, in the country whose people I have served all my life. To be away from the people of my country, away from the smell of my soil, and to hear every day of the suffering of my leaders and workers is deeply painful.

Today, the rights of the people of Bangladesh matter far more than my personal life. Even from afar, I follow the situation in the country every day. I keep track of our leaders and workers. I listen to the stories of persecuted families. I try to present the state of democracy and human rights in Bangladesh before the international community. My struggle has not stopped.

My strength is the people of Bangladesh, the leaders and workers of the Awami League, and the ideals of the Father of the Nation. With that strength, I continue to work every day to restore democracy in Bangladesh and to unite the people. I believe the people of Bangladesh will restore democracy again. The Awami League will rise again through the strength of the people. I am with that struggle, and I will remain with it until my last day.