Hasina speaks out on return

Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has reiterated her intention to return to Bangladesh in December and discussed the country's political situation and the future leadership of the Awami League in a recent interview with Indian media outlet The Wall, as the chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) said on Monday that she would have no further opportunity to appeal against her death sentence if the statutory 30-day deadline expires. Chief Prosecutor of the ICT Md Aminul Islam said the law applied equally to everyone, including fugitive convicts, and that no appeal could be entertained after the stipulated period had passed. He made the remarks on Monday afternoon while responding to journalists' questions about the appeal of fugitive Maulana Abul Kalam Azad at a press conference at his office. 'The law is equal for everyone. Whether it is fugitive Maulana Abul Kalam Azad or former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been sentenced to death, no one can appeal after the deadline expires,' he said. Aminul Islam said the tribunal had sentenced Maulana Abul Kalam Azad to death, but he had remained outside the country for a long time and had not filed an appeal. He said Section 21(3) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act clearly stipulated that an appeal must be filed within 30 days of the announcement of a verdict. 'If an appeal is not filed within this period, it will no longer be admissible. This applies to everyone. Whether a person is a fugitive or in jail, the appeal must be filed within 30 days. That means whether it is Sheikh Hasina or Maulana Abul Kalam Azad,' he said. The chief prosecutor said a hearing on Azad's case had recently been held at the Appellate Division, where he had presented the relevant legal provisions on behalf of the prosecution. 'Moreover, the Appellate Division has not yet accepted Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's appeal. Therefore, there is currently no pending proceeding before the Appellate Division,' he said. He added that he believed Azad's lawyers had also understood the legal position, which was why they had not taken any further steps in the matter. Regarding the government's power to suspend a sentence, Aminul Islam said that once the 30-day period had expired, there was no legal avenue to seek relief from another forum. 'Once the 30-day period expires after a verdict delivered by the tribunal, I do not see any alternative other than implementing the verdict. However, the government can suspend any sentence. This is an inherent power of the government. They may exercise this power in anyone's case or may choose not to. It depends on the government's decision,' he said. Hasina says she plans to return Meanwhile, in the interview with The Wall, Sheikh Hasina said Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim would take responsibility as president of the Awami League in her absence. During a lengthy telephone interview with The Wall Executive Editor Amal Sarkar on September 6, Hasina spoke about her possible return to Bangladesh, personal security, the country's current political situation, Bangladesh-India relations and the future leadership of the Awami League. The Wall also published an audio clip of the conversation on its website, while several Bangladeshi media outlets reported key points from the interview based on the recording. Hasina reiterated that she intended to return to Bangladesh in December, although she expressed concern that she could be attacked at the airport if she did so. 'Everyone's life is at risk. I do not want to put anyone in danger by instructing them to bring me back to the country,' she said. She also said she was preparing to return and maintaining communication with grassroots leaders, activists and ordinary people. Hasina further claimed that extremist forces were gaining ground in Bangladesh and warned that their impact would not remain confined to the country. The interview has nevertheless triggered speculation and conflicting reactions on social media. Some users questioned whether Hasina was alive and suggested that she might never return to Bangladesh. Others alleged, without providing publicly verified evidence, that the audio recording had been generated using artificial intelligence and circulated by Sheikh Selim to keep the Awami League politically active. Some social media users also questioned why Hasina, if she was willing to give an interview to an Indian media outlet, had not appeared directly and why only an audio recording had been released. A close associate of former Narayanganj-4 lawmaker Shamim Osman, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that even if Hasina was alive, she would never return to Bangladesh. According to the source, Hasina had received more than she had expected and would have to face accountability over the deaths of students during the 2024 movement. The source further said Hasina was now a fugitive convict sentenced to death by the court and argued that if she genuinely wanted to return to Bangladesh, she would have come back earlier and faced the legal process. The legal position outlined by the ICT chief prosecutor, however, remains centred on the statutory 30-day period for filing an appeal. Once that period expires, he said, the tribunal's verdict would have no further avenue of appeal, although the government retains the power to suspend a sentence.