Ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return to Bangladesh before the end of this year, dismissing a death sentence handed down against her as “illegal, unconstitutional and politically motivated.”

Speaking in an interview with India’s NDTV, Hasina said she would return despite what she described as efforts to block her comeback.

“I want to tell the people of Bangladesh that I will return this year, overcoming all obstacles and conspiracies,” she said.

The Awami League president has been living in India since leaving Bangladesh following the 2024 student-led uprising that ended her 15-year rule.

Hasina rejected the death sentence issued against her in absentia over allegations related to violence during the 2024 unrest, claiming the judiciary was being used to target her and her party for political revenge.

She said her return was not driven by a desire to regain power but by a commitment to restore democracy, the rule of law and the ideals of Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War.

Hasina also called for lifting the ban on the Awami League, releasing its leaders and activists from detention and withdrawing what she described as politically motivated cases against them.

The government, however, has defended the legal proceedings, saying those responsible for past violence and abuses must be held accountable under the law.