Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister, who is in exile in India, on Thursday broke silence on her possible return to her home country, saying she does not need "blessing of a foreign power".
While asserting that she values friendship and cooperation of all nations, Hasina said, "That has always been our foreign policy. But I do not need the blessing of a foreign power to return to my own country."
The ousted PM was replying to news agency AP over email when asked if she expected India or the United States to put pressure on Dhaka to ensure her safe return.
Hasina, who was premier between 2009 and 2024, asserted that he decision to return to Bangladesh by December has not changed. This comes amid calls for her arrest and execution from multiple quarters in the country, including the ruling BNP.
"If death is my destiny, I would rather die on the soil of my own country, among my own people. So, I will return to Bangladesh. That decision has not changed," she added.
Last year, Dhaka's International Crimes Tribunal handed death penalty to Hasina for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising. Nearly 600 criminal cases have been registered against Hasina and other senior leaders of the Awami League.
A United Nations report claimed that nearly 1,400 people were killed. Hasina has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, challenging the tribunal's verdict and the legitimacy of the trial.
In July, Hasina announced that she will surrender before the courts. Saying she intends to voluntarily return, she told Reuters back then, "They may arrest me on my return, they may even kill me. Still, I have to go."
Pointing out that leaders and workers of Awami League were being subjected to tremendous repression, she said, "If death comes, I want it to come on my own soil, where my parents are buried and where their blood was shed."
