Hasina’s return threat puts Bangladesh in a fix as political tensions collide with economic crisis

Dhaka (TIP): Bangladesh is facing a fresh spell of political uncertainty as former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s announcement that she intends to return from exile in India has reignited tensions between her supporters and the authorities.
Violent street protests, a crackdown on demonstrators and an increasingly bleak economic outlook have placed the country in a difficult position, barely two years after a mass uprising ended Hasina’s 15-year rule.
The latest flashpoint came after Hasina sought a new passport and national identity card from Bangladesh’s diplomatic mission in New Delhi, signalling her intention to return in December and surrender before a court. The Bangladesh government, however, rejected the request and reiterated that it wanted her extradited from India under the bilateral treaty.
The announcement has galvanised supporters of Hasina’s Awami League, whose activities have been banned and which was barred from contesting the February 2026 general election.
Police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse pro-Hasina demonstrators, while clashes involving activists of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the party’s student wing, have been reported in several areas.
The protests mark the first organised show of strength by Hasina’s supporters since her government was toppled in August 2024. They also underline the difficulty of keeping the Awami League and its support base outside mainstream politics while addressing the grievances that contributed to the uprising.
“The return of Sheikh Hasina is not merely an individual political question; it has the potential to reopen the country’s unresolved political conflict. That’s what makes Dhaka wary of this,” said a source.
The political stakes are particularly high because Hasina’s return would force the government to confront questions it has so far been able to defer — whether the Awami League can be allowed back into political life, how its supporters should be treated and what happens to a former prime minister who has been sentenced to death in absentia.
The Bangladesh government has made its position clear. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the authorities were examining the legal basis and procedural validity of Hasinas passport application. He also reiterated that Dhaka had already sought her extradition from India.
“Let us be very clear on this: if Sheikh Hasina doesn’t go back, the violence will continue and they will exterminate the Awami League,” said an Awami League candidate.
The Awami League has alleged that hundreds of its supporters have been killed in mob violence and that several others have died in the custody of security forces since Hasina’s ouster. The political confrontation is unfolding against an increasingly difficult economic backdrop.