Bangladesh Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday, 5 August praised India as 'a great friend' and firmly stated that her proposed return to Bangladesh — tentatively planned for December — is a personal decision taken independently of the Indian government. Speaking from a remote location at a packed media conference in New Delhi, the 78-year-old former Prime Minister addressed questions about her exile, her future plans, and the political situation back home.

Hasina on Her Planned Return

Sheikh Hasina reiterated her intent to return to Bangladesh sometime in December, though she stopped short of specifying any date. 'I want to go back to my country, to my people. It is not a government matter,' she said, underscoring that the decision was personal and did not involve any consultation with the Indian government. She drew a parallel with her 1981 return to Bangladesh — when the late President Zia-ur-Rahman was in power — saying she had been stopped then too but went back regardless. 'Anything can happen; they can kill me. Still, I have to go,' she added, appealing instead to the support of the Bangladeshi people.

Son Sajeeb Wazed Joy Thanks PM Modi

Joining the press conference online from the United States, Hasina's son and former Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy, 52, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the treatment his mother has received since taking refuge in India. 'They have shown her the utmost respect and for that I'm eternally grateful,' he said. Wazed confirmed that Hasina is being treated 'very well' in India and stressed that her proposed return has not been discussed with Dhaka. 'We're not in communication with the government of Bangladesh. She is doing this regardless of what the government of Bangladesh wants,' he said.

Allegations of Foreign Interference and Security Warnings

Wazed went further, alleging that Bangladesh has effectively become 'another Pakistan' on India's eastern flank, claiming that foreign intelligence agencies — including, he alleged, Pakistan's ISI — have an 'open hand' in the country and that terror elements are operating 'openly'. These are serious charges that have not been independently verified, and the current Bangladesh government has not responded to them in the context of this press conference.

On US Diplomacy and Bangladesh

Asked about US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor's recent meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka — where the envoy emphasised economic cooperation — Wazed called it standard diplomacy. 'The US' current focus is on trade. They are not focused on democracy and human rights,' he said. On Washington's renewed outreach to Pakistan, he attributed it to policy shifts under new leadership, adding: 'This can all change very quickly.'

Background: Exile and the Liberation War

Hasina has been living in exile in India since 2024, when a volatile student-led uprising forced her out of power. She subsequently received a death sentence in absentia in Bangladesh for alleged crimes against humanity — charges her party, the Awami League, has rejected. At the press conference, she expressed grief over what she described as the destruction of symbols tied to the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. 'They've destroyed all symbols of victory, of the Liberation War. We've to bring it back. I want to bring back that pride,' she said. Bangladesh was officially liberated on 16 December 1971, following nine months of armed struggle against West Pakistan. The current ruling party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was founded by the late President Zia-ur-Rahman; incumbent Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is his son. Several Awami League leaders and former ministers were also present at the New Delhi press conference.