Sheikh Hasina will face arrest the moment she sets foot in Bangladesh, the country’s interim law advisor, Asif Nazrul, confirmed on Tuesday. The former prime minister remains in India following her abrupt resignation and departure last August, but the legal net in Dhaka is tightening.
The interim government has already initiated multiple cases against Hasina, ranging from allegations of mass killings during the student-led protests to charges of enforced disappearances. Nazrul told reporters in Dhaka that the administration intends to see her face the judicial process, leaving no room for political immunity.
Hasina’s sudden flight followed weeks of volatile demonstrations that ended her 15-year hold on power. She left behind a fractured political landscape and a police force in disarray. Since then, hundreds of her party loyalists have been detained, and the Awami League—the party she led for decades—has found itself largely sidelined from public life.
The legal strategy against her is aggressive. Prosecutors are currently compiling evidence to support dozens of complaints filed by the families of victims who died during the summer uprising. The government is also working through diplomatic channels to explore extradition possibilities with New Delhi, though an official formal request has yet to be processed.
“The law will take its own course,” Nazrul said, dismissing claims of political victimization. He signaled that the interim administration is determined to bypass the traditional delays that have long characterized the country’s court system, aiming to bring high-profile figures to trial quickly.
The former leader’s presence in India continues to complicate bilateral ties. While New Delhi has provided a safe haven for its long-time ally, the interim government in Dhaka is under immense domestic pressure to ensure she answers for the violence that claimed hundreds of lives in July and August.
For now, the border remains a point of intense speculation. Hasina is effectively in exile, and the path back to Dhaka is blocked by a series of warrants that ensure her arrival would lead directly to a jail cell.
