Sheikh Hasina Faces Execution If She Returns

Bangladesh’s chief prosecutor has said Sheikh Hasina will face execution if she returns home, after the deadline to appeal against her death sentence expired.

Md Aminul Islam, the prosecutor who secured the death sentence against the ousted leader, told reporters on Tuesday that Hasina had no further legal recourse. “Sheikh Hasina has no option but to face the execution of the verdict,” he said. “The statutory appeal period has expired and no appeal can now be filed.”

Hasina, 79, has vowed to return to Bangladesh in December from self-imposed exile in India. She was convicted of crimes against humanity over the 2024 crackdown on protesters that ended her 15-year rule.

Sheikh Hasina execution warning follows expired appeal

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 in Dhaka sentenced Hasina to death in absentia on November 17, 2025, after finding her guilty on three counts of crimes against humanity, including incitement, ordering killings and failing to prevent atrocities. Former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was sentenced to death in the same verdict.

The full verdict was published on January 13, 2026. The convicts had 30 days to appeal. Hasina filed none.

Her return plans have become the sharpest point of tension in Bangladesh’s politics. She has repeatedly said she intends to come back in December, telling AFP she was “fully aware” she faced being hanged if she returned. “Fear cannot decide” her “duty to the people”, she said.

Islam said the passport authority “may refuse to issue a passport” to anyone found guilty of serious crimes, after Hasina’s lawyers asked this week to renew her passport.

“Our advice to Sheikh Hasina would be, if you genuinely wish to return to Bangladesh, you should write to the Indian authorities and seek to facilitate your return under the extradition treaty,” he said.

A conviction built on the 2024 crackdown

Hasina’s 15-year rule ended in August 2024, when a mass uprising forced her to flee by helicopter to India as crowds stormed her palace. She has remained there since, hidden from public view.

The crackdown left up to 1,400 people dead, according to the United Nations. Hasina, who was assigned a state-appointed lawyer, called the trial a “jurisprudential joke” and denied the charges.

She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led Bangladesh to independence in 1971. Her rule brought rapid economic growth and turned the country of 170 million people into a global manufacturing hub. That economy now carries heavy external debt, which the government that followed her is struggling to manage. Critics accused her of jailing rivals, enacting harsh press laws and overseeing widespread abuses.

Bangladesh’s foreign ministry has sought her extradition from India, which says the request is under legal review. Her continued presence in India has strained relations between the two neighbours.

Bangladesh renewed its extradition demand this week, with the law minister describing her as a convicted criminal. Her lawyers have also asked for a new passport, a move Dhaka is examining.

Return pledge divides Bangladesh

Hasina’s pledge to return presents a political challenge for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government. Many Bangladeshis want to see her hanged, while others fear her return could galvanise her former supporters and trigger a fresh confrontation.

Police said on Monday they had arrested 12 people for a series of petrol bomb attacks this month, including attacks on property, an empty bus and police vehicles. None resulted in casualties. A Dhaka police spokesman said the suspects were members of Hasina’s banned Awami League party.

She also faces a string of other cases, including corruption charges. Police figures show 673 cases filed against her across Bangladesh, including 457 involving allegations of murder.

For now, the legal position is plain. The death sentence stands, the appeal window has closed, and the prosecutor says return means facing the verdict. Whether Hasina tests that warning in December will shape the next chapter of Bangladesh’s politics. Dawn reported the prosecutor’s warning on Tuesday.

Frequently asked questions

What did the Bangladesh prosecutor say about Sheikh Hasina?

Chief prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said Hasina will face execution if she returns, because the appeal deadline against her death sentence has expired.

When was Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death?

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced her to death in absentia on November 17, 2025, for crimes against humanity over the 2024 crackdown.

Why can she no longer appeal?

The tribunal allowed 30 days to appeal. Hasina filed no appeal, so the period has expired.

When does Hasina plan to return to Bangladesh?

She has said she intends to return in December 2026, telling AFP she is “fully aware” she faces being hanged.

What is Bangladesh doing to bring her back?

Bangladesh has sought her extradition from India, which says the request is under legal review.