Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina faces an increasingly difficult legal battle, with the country’s chief prosecutor declaring that she has no legal option left but to face execution if she returns to Bangladesh.
International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam made the statement on Tuesday, November 10, amid reports that Hasina is planning to return from India in December.
“Sheikh Hasina has no option but to face the execution of the verdict,” Aminul told reporters, saying that the former prime minister had missed the 30-day deadline to appeal against her death sentence.
Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia in November 2025 after being convicted of crimes against humanity over the crackdown on student-led protests in July-August 2024.
Hasina fled to India in August 2024 after the mass uprising brought an end to her 15-year rule. She has consistently rejected the charges, questioned the legitimacy of the tribunal and denied responsibility for the allegations.
The latest development comes after reports that a London-based legal chamber approached the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi seeking a passport and national identity card for Hasina. The chief prosecutor, however, said there was no legal provision to issue travel documents to someone convicted of crimes against humanity.
He also suggested that if Hasina genuinely wanted to return, she should formally approach the Indian government under the India-Bangladesh extradition treaty.
Interestingly, Hasina has publicly expressed her intention to return to Bangladesh in December, even while acknowledging the possibility of arrest, imprisonment or death.
Her potential return now presents a major legal and political challenge for Bangladesh’s new political establishment. With her Awami League party banned from electoral participation and its leadership facing legal action, Hasina’s return could also reignite political tensions.
For now, the question is whether her stated intention to return will translate into action, particularly when the country’s chief prosecutor has made it clear that execution remains the consequence he expects under the existing legal process.
