Bangladesh Condemns Sheikh Hasina's Delhi Speech as She Says, 'I Will Return by December'

Bangladesh has strongly condemned former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's virtual address from New Delhi after she declared, "I will return by December," despite facing a death sentence in her home country. Dhaka described the event as an affront to Bangladesh's sovereignty and judicial process, accused India of allowing a convicted fugitive to make political statements from its soil, and renewed its demand for Hasina's extradition.

In a statement, Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry said it had formally conveyed its protest to the Indian government, calling Hasina an absconding convicted person and warning that allowing such a speech could damage efforts to improve bilateral ties. Dhaka urged New Delhi to hand her over in accordance with existing legal mechanisms.

Speaking via video link at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi on the second anniversary of her ouster, Hasina said December would be "our victory month" and vowed to return even if she had to face prison or the gallows.

"I want to go back in the month of December. I know I may face anything. Bangladesh needs reconciliation. Bangladesh needs constitutional development and constitutional stability," she said.

Hasina defended her government's handling of the July-August 2024 protests, insisting they were not a peaceful student movement but a coordinated campaign that turned a quota reform protest into an attempt at regime change. She said her government had tried to resolve the crisis through dialogue, legal measures and negotiations before violence escalated.

The former premier also alleged that since her removal, thousands of Awami League leaders and supporters had been arrested, attacked or tortured. She claimed party offices were vandalized, homes of senior leaders were looted and burned, and nearly 50 television stations and newspaper offices were attacked.

India quickly distanced itself from the event, saying the government had no involvement in organizing or hosting the programme and did not endorse any views expressed during the address. New Delhi said Bangladesh's extradition request for Hasina continues to be examined through the legal process.

Hours after the event, the ancestral home of former Bangladesh cricket captain and former Awami League lawmaker Shakib Al Hasan in Magura was attacked by unidentified people after he also appeared virtually at the programme. No injuries were reported.

Hasina has refused to appear before Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal, where she was convicted in absentia and sentenced to death over crimes against humanity linked to the 2024 crackdown on protesters. Her latest remarks have further intensified political divisions in Bangladesh and added fresh strain to relations between Dhaka and New Delhi.