Bangladesh says ex-PM Sheikh Hasina will be jailed if she returns

Bangladesh’s foreign ministry announced that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina will be imprisoned if she surrenders, whether in India or Bangladesh. The statement by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam comes after a war‑crimes tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for ordering a deadly crackdown on the 2024 student‑led uprising that the United Nations estimates killed about 1,400 people. Hasina, who has lived in self‑imposed exile in New Delhi since her ouster, told Reuters she plans to return in December and will face the legal process. Bangladesh has formally requested India’s extradition of Hasina; New Delhi says the request is under legal review. The current Bangladesh government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, says it will apply the law without regard to political statements from the convicted former leader.