Here are the edited excerpts of the interview:
Question: If a political party is banned and its leader is sentenced to death, then how will the future of that party remain secure?Sheikh Hasina: The Awami League is woven into Bangladesh’s history and independence. We have survived assassination, military rule, and repeated attempts at political elimination. This death sentence comes from a kangaroo court acting at the behest of an unelected interim government. Our hope and expectation is that, sooner or later, democracy will return to Bangladesh, and with it an appropriate role for our party. The current ban on party only exposes the interim government’s sense of insecurity and fear of genuine democratic contest.
Banning us doesn’t erase the millions who support us. The Awami League has been elected nine times by our people because we are rooted in every village and neighbourhood. We will continue fighting through legal, diplomatic and peaceful means to give Bangladesh back to its people.
Question: ISI’s activities, meetings with Pakistani Army Chiefs, portraying India’s North-East as ‘Greater Bangladesh’, comments on the Siliguri Corridor — Dr. Yunus’s growing proximity to Pakistan and provoking India — what is your view on all these developments?
Sheikh Hasina: International bodies have unanimously condemned Yunus’ actions, members of his government are resigning in protest, and millions of Bangladeshis are increasingly wise to his game. It comes as no surprise that Yunus is rushing to embrace Pakistan, a regional player he doesn’t understand, begging for any form of international validation.
Yunus has neither the expertise nor the mandate to conduct diplomacy, which is about long-term partnerships and the nation’s strategic interests. I appreciate India’s patience as it waits for a leader who can represent our nation, rather than just a handful of unpopular extremists.
Question: In 1971, more than 200,000 Bangladeshi women were raped by the Pakistan Army — do you think Pakistan is today trying to recreate a similar oppressive environment or instability?
Sheikh Hasina: The violence we’re witnessing today — the targeting of minorities, the attacks on women, the attempts to erase our liberation history — are disturbing echoes of 1971.
We fought against this ideology in the war, and we built Bangladesh to be a strong, secular, and safe state – especially for women and minorities. It’s in our country’s interest to have a stable, constructive relationship with Pakistan. But we also need strong leadership: not just to protect our nation, but to protect those within it.
Question: After you left office, the rift that has emerged in India–Bangladesh relations — is it possible for these ties to improve again?Sheikh Hasina: I have no doubt that our relationship with India can withstand the silliness of the Yunus interlude, which will be temporary. India is not just a strategic partner, it is a friend with whom we share cultures, histories, and a 4,000km border. Once Bangladeshis can vote freely, they will elect a leader that can be the friend India deserves, and I appreciate our neighbour’s patience as it waits for common sense to prevail.
Question: Bangladesh’s interim government has officially requested your extradition from India; if India agrees to send you back to Dhaka, will you return to face the trial, or will you oppose it, considering it a scheme of political assassination?
Sheikh Hasina: This is a political assassination dressed in judicial robes. The so-called International Crimes Tribunal is neither international nor impartial, as numerous respected foreign jurists have pointed out. Its verdict was engineered by my political opponents. To return to Dhaka under the Yunus regime would obviously not be safe for me.
I have repeatedly challenged the interim government to bring these charges before the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Yunuss refuses because they know the ICC would acquit me and scrutinise his government’s own dismal record of human rights breaches.
Question: A Dhaka court has sentenced you to death in a ‘Crimes against Humanity’ case, but you are living in India under asylum. Do you believe that now both your life and your path to justice depend on decisions taken in New Delhi?
Sheikh Hasina: I am deeply grateful to the Indian people for welcoming me. I did not want to leave my home, but remaining would have risked violence not only against me but against those trying to protect me.
Justice will come through international pressure and the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh. The international community — Human Rights Watch, the UN High Commissioner, Amnesty International — have all condemned these proceedings. My path to justice depends on Bangladesh returning to constitutional governance and the rule of law, not any single nation’s decision.
Question: Do you trust that the next election under Dr Yunus will truly be free and fair?
Sheikh Hasina: No election can be free, fair or inclusive if the ban on the Awami League is maintained. Yunus has disenfranchised tens of millions of citizens, depriving them of their vote, and depriving the nation of choice. Any election without us undermines the legitimacy of the next government.
This administration has banned our party, detained thousands on fabricated charges, silenced journalists, and destroyed judicial independence. So my answer to your question I hope is clear.
Question: In the future, will you hand over the political legacy of the Awami League to your son Sajeeb Wazed and your daughter Saima Wazed? Will they take up the responsibility of leading the party in the coming years?
Sheikh Hasina: The Awami League’s future will be decided by its members and supporters. Our party has deep roots in every corner of Bangladesh, with millions of dedicated members who have kept the spirit of 1971 alive through decades of struggle.
My family has paid for Bangladesh’s independence with its own blood. But leadership isn’t about inheritance — it’s about earning the trust of the people. The party will choose its path when Bangladesh returns to democracy. What matters now is that we remain united, peaceful, and committed to restoring genuine democracy to our nation.
