Goa, July 10 -- Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced her intention to return to Bangladesh around December despite facing a death sentence handed down in absentia by the country's International Crimes Tribunal. Living in India since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024, Hasina said she and senior leaders of the now-banned Awami League would surrender before the courts upon their return.

In an interview with Reuters, the 78-year-old leader acknowledged the risks involved but insisted she was prepared to face arrest or even death. "They may arrest me on my return, they may even kill me. Still, I have to go," she said, adding that she wanted to spend her final days on the soil where her parents are buried.

Hasina was f...