All eyes on August 5 as Sheikh Hasina prepares for first public appearance in India since ouster

According to media reports, Hasina is likely to address an event virtually at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia (FCC South Asia) in New Delhi.

The event is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on August 5—the anniversary of her departure from Bangladesh—and will be held at the Sir Mark Tully Auditorium on Mathura Road. It will also be livestreamed on FCC South Asia's social media platforms, Hindustan Times reported.

The newspaper said Hasina is expected to speak about her future plans and her proposed return to Bangladesh.

During her two-year stay in India, Hasina—the leader of the Awami League, which is currently banned in Bangladesh—has issued statements, given interviews and participated in events virtually, but has not made a public appearance.

She is expected to be joined on the panel by her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, former Information and Communication Technology adviser to the Bangladesh prime minister; former Bangladesh education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel; and Bangladesh Human Rights Watch General Secretary Mahammad Ali Siddique.

Hasina reiterates plans to return

In June, Hasina said she intended to return to Bangladesh this year.

Speaking to Indian broadcaster NDTV, she said: "I want to say clearly: overcoming every obstacle and every conspiracy, I will return to my country this year."

Bangladesh warns of arrest

Last month, Bangladesh's Law Minister M. Asaduzzaman said Hasina would be arrested immediately upon entering the country.

He said she could be taken into custody even before she had an opportunity to surrender before a court.

"Despite being a death penalty convict, being a Bangladeshi citizen, if she intends to surrender showing respect to the law by returning home, perhaps she will be arrested before she could do so," the minister told reporters.

"Whenever she enters our territory, I will enforce the authority that the law has reposed upon me," he added.

The minister acknowledged that Hasina, as a Bangladeshi citizen, has the right to return but maintained that legal proceedings would follow.

Passport revoked

Hasina's return could also face practical challenges after Bangladesh's interim government revoked her passport following her departure from the country in 2024.

When asked how she could return without a valid Bangladeshi passport, Asaduzzaman replied: "It is her problem, not mine."

Death sentence in absentia

In November 2025, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia after convicting her of crimes against humanity in connection with the crackdown on student protesters.

Hasina has rejected the verdict, describing it as "political vengeance dressed up as law."

International human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have raised concerns about the fairness of the proceedings, while the United Nations human rights office has also questioned aspects of the trial.

Extradition request

Bangladesh has been seeking Hasina's extradition from India. New Delhi has acknowledged receiving Dhaka's request and has said it is "under examination."

Earlier this year, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party formed the government following the general election, with Tarique Rahman assuming office as prime minister.

With Hasina reiterating her intention to return, any attempt to re-enter Bangladesh is likely to trigger a major legal and political confrontation, given the death sentence against her and repeated warnings from the government that she would be arrested upon arrival.