India, July 10 -- Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced that she plans to return to Bangladesh from her exile in India by December 2026, despite facing a death sentence in absentia, saying she and senior leaders of the Awami League will voluntarily surrender before the courts.

In an interview with Reuters, Hasina said she was prepared to face arrest or even death upon her return but believed it was her duty to stand with her party and the people of Bangladesh.

"They may arrest me on my return, they may even kill me. Still, I have to go," the 78-year-old leader said, adding that she wanted to return to the country where her parents were buried and where their "blood was shed."

Hasina fled Bangladesh in 2024 after ...