Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to make her first major public appearance in India on August 5, 2026, exactly two years after she fled her home country. The virtual event, hosted by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi, will feature the former leader as she discusses her political roadmap and her stated intention to return to Bangladesh later this year. Since her departure in 2024, Hasina has remained largely out of the public eye, avoiding formal media engagements while living in exile.
The event coincides with the second anniversary of the collapse of her nearly 16-year administration. In August 2024, widespread student-led protests against a controversial government quota system escalated into a national movement, leading to her resignation and sudden exit from Dhaka. Following her departure, she was sentenced to death in absentia by a war crimes tribunal in November 2025 for her role in the violent suppression of those protests, a verdict she has dismissed as politically motivated.
Hasina’s upcoming address is expected to include a panel of prominent supporters, including her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel. While she has expressed a desire to return to Bangladesh in December to surrender to the courts and potentially revive the Awami League, the current government in Dhaka has warned that she faces immediate arrest and execution upon entry. The diplomatic tension remains high, as Bangladesh continues to formally request her extradition from India.
Observers are watching the event closely to see how Hasina frames her political future and whether her rhetoric impacts the ongoing, delicate diplomatic relationship between New Delhi and Dhaka. While India has provided her with a base, it has maintained that she is not permitted to conduct active political operations from its soil. The virtual nature of the event and the presence of various political figures suggest a calculated effort to re-enter the public discourse as the region approaches further political milestones.