Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has announced that she will return to Bangladesh in December despite the possibility of being arrested or even facing a death sentence, saying her decision is driven by a desire to restore democracy and justice.

Speaking at a virtual press conference on Wednesday, her first public media interaction since fleeing to India on August 5, 2024, Hasina said she was prepared to face any consequences upon returning.

"They may put me in jail or kill me...I will go back home to be with my people," she said.

The 78-year-old leader, who has been living in India since leaving Dhaka last year, said her return was not motivated by political power.

"My return is not about power, it's about putting Bangladesh back on track of development, secularism and prosperity."

Reaffirming her decision, Hasina said, "I have decided to go and I will go to Bangladesh."

Last November, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for alleged "crimes against humanity" linked to her government's crackdown on student-led protests in 2024. Since the verdict, Bangladesh has been pressing India to extradite her.

During the press conference, Hasina also thanked India for its support, calling it "a great friend of Bangladesh."

Describing the current situation in Bangladesh as deeply troubling, she claimed that fear had spread across homes, workplaces and educational institutions.

"This is not the Bangladesh we built. I call upon the international community to stand with the people of Bangladesh in their struggle for democracy and justice," she said.

Hasina also rejected the narrative surrounding the protests that led to the collapse of her government in July and August 2024.

She alleged, “Let me begin with the truth about July and August 2024. It was not a peaceful student movement. From the beginning, my government tried to resolve the issue peacefully through dialogue, legal process, and patience. But behind the language of reform, organised groups were working to turn students demand into violent political instrument.”

"I was forced away from my country but I am never separated from my people," she said.

Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, also addressed the media, alleging that political killings have been legalised in Bangladesh since August 2024.

Claiming that the country had become a failed state with no law and order, Joy further alleged that Bangladesh had become "another Pakistan" on India's eastern border, a development he said should be a matter of concern for New Delhi.

With PTI inputs