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Bangladesh's state minister for foreign affairs, Shama Obaed Islam, said on Monday that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be jailed if she returns to Bangladesh from her self-imposed exile in India. "Sheikh Hasina is a convicted criminal. If she surrenders, action will be taken against her as per the laws of Bangladesh," Obaed told reporters, according to Dawn. "She will have to go to jail and further proceedings will follow as per the provisions of the law."

The Hindu reported similar remarks, quoting Obaed as saying, "If she surrenders, steps will be taken in accordance with the existing law. She will have to go to jail. The law will take its own course."

Coverage Comparison

Both Dawn and The Hindu report that Hasina, who was toppled in a violent student-led street protest on August 5, 2024, has been living in India since fleeing Dhaka following the collapse of her government. Both outlets also report that Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Dhaka for alleged "crimes against humanity" and that Dhaka has been urging New Delhi to extradite her.

Dawn adds that Hasina faces a death sentence in Bangladesh and that her party is banned, and it quotes her as telling Reuters she planned to return in December and surrender to a court. The Hindu also mentions reports that Hasina is preparing to return by December, but does not include a direct quote from her.

Dawn also reports that the United Nations said 1,400 people were killed in the popular uprising against Hasina's rule in 2024, and that Bangladesh is now governed by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's administration. The Hindu does not include these details in its coverage.

Obaed's comments come days after Hasina told Reuters she intended to return voluntarily, saying many of her party colleagues abroad would also return to face trial. "Cases have been filed against almost all of our leaders and workers, and many of them are in hiding," Hasina said, as reported by Dawn. "So I said that this time I am returning home, and one day, all of you should come. All together, we will all surrender in court."

Obaed dismissed Hasina's statement as "an attempt to mobilise fugitive party leaders and activists," according to Dawn. The Hindu quotes Obaed as saying, "Wherever Sheikh Hasina surrenders, whether in India or Bangladesh, she will have to go to jail first. The government has nothing to consider regarding the statements of a convicted individual."

Key Claims

  • Sheikh Hasina will be jailed if she returns to Bangladesh, and the law will take its course if she surrenders, as stated by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, reported by both Dawn and The Hindu.
  • Hasina was toppled in a violent student-led street protest on August 5, 2024, as reported by The Hindu.
  • Hasina has been living in India since fleeing Dhaka following the collapse of her government, as reported by both Dawn and The Hindu.
  • Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Dhaka for alleged "crimes against humanity", as reported by both Dawn and The Hindu.
  • Dhaka has been urging New Delhi to extradite her to face the law, as reported by both Dawn and The Hindu.
  • The United Nations said 1,400 people were killed in the popular uprising against Hasina's rule in 2024, as reported by Dawn.
  • Bangladesh is now governed by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's administration, as reported by Dawn.

Perspectives

  • Bangladesh government: State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam insists that Hasina, as a convicted individual, will face jail and further legal proceedings if she surrenders, and that the government will act strictly in accordance with the law.
  • Sheikh Hasina: The ousted prime minister, in her first interview during exile, said she intends to return voluntarily to Bangladesh to surrender in court, and urged her party colleagues abroad to do the same.