The dramatic resignation and flight of Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, marked the end of an era in Bangladesh’s political landscape, but it was merely the beginning of an extraordinary legal and diplomatic saga that continues to unfold. The 78-year-old former prime minister, who fled to India amid massive student-led protests that left approximately 1,400 dead, now faces a death sentence in absentia and an uncertain future in exile.
The Hasty Departure of Sheikh Hasina
Hasina’s departure from Bangladesh came in chaotic circumstances as tens of thousands of protesters surrounded her official residence in Dhaka. She fled first by car, then helicopter, and finally aboard a Bangladesh Air Force Lockheed C-130 transport aircraft to Hindon Air Force base in Ghaziabad, India, where she was received by Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The former prime minister left without delivering a resignation speech, a detail that would later fuel debates about the legitimacy of her departure.​
Since that August day, Sheikh Hasina has been living in a secret safe house in New Delhi’s high-security Lutyens Bungalow Zone, under protection provided by the Indian government. Reports from October 2024 revealed that she occasionally takes quiet walks through Delhi’s historic Lodhi Garden, accompanied by personal security, acknowledging passersby with nods as some recognize the former leader who once ranked among the world’s 100 most powerful women.
Historic Conviction
On November 17, 2025, the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh delivered a landmark verdict that sent shockwaves through South Asian politics. Sheikh Hasina was convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death in absentia for her role in the violent suppression of the July 2024 student protests. The tribunal found her guilty on three of five charges, including incitement to violence, ordering killings, and failing to prevent atrocities or punish offenders.​
The 453-page ruling detailed how Hasina authorized lethal force against protesters, including orders to deploy drones, helicopters, and military-grade weapons to quell the unrest. A leaked audio recording, verified by the BBC, captured Hasina instructing security forces to shoot protesters on sight—evidence that proved crucial in linking her directly to the violent crackdown. The courtroom in Dhaka erupted in applause from victims’ family members as judges declared it “abundantly clear” that she had encouraged party activists and directed the killing of protesting students.​
The Dark Legacy of Sheikh Hasina Unveiled
The months following Hasina’s departure have exposed disturbing aspects of her 15-year rule. In February 2025, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who leads Bangladesh’s interim government, personally visited secret detention centers known as “Aynaghar” (House of Mirrors) alongside victims and press. The Commission for Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance documented between 500 and 700 secret prison cells throughout the country, with at least one detention center near Dhaka International Airport deliberately bricked up after the regime fell.​
Human rights organizations estimate that disappearances during Hasina’s tenure could exceed 3,500 cases, with people incarcerated for years in tiny, dark cells—many believed to have been killed. These revelations substantiate long-standing allegations by Human Rights Watch and other organizations about systematic enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings under her government.
Financial Reckoning
A comprehensive investigation into financial crimes has revealed staggering allegations of corruption and money laundering. A government report published in December 2024 estimated that up to $16 billion was annually diverted through money laundering during Hasina’s 2009-2024 tenure, totaling more than $240 billion over 15 years. The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit discovered assets linked to Sheikh Hasina and her family in the United States, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Cayman Islands.​
On March 11, 2025, a Dhaka court ordered the freezing of 124 bank accounts belonging to Hasina, her family members, and related organizations, containing approximately Tk635.14 crore ($54 million). An additional 31 bank accounts were frozen on March 18, bringing the total frozen funds to Tk394.6 crore. The court also confiscated properties including her iconic Dhanmondi residence “Sudha Sadan” and multiple land holdings.​
The Anti-Corruption Commission has filed charge sheets against Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed, and other family members in multiple cases, including allegations of embezzling $5 billion in funds for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant construction. The interim government has designated the money laundering case against Hasina’s family as its top priority for resolution in 2025
The Extradition Standoff
Bangladesh’s interim government has repeatedly requested India to extradite Hasina, most recently on November 22, 2025, following her death sentence. The Foreign Ministry emphasized that India has a “mandatory responsibility” under the 2013 extradition treaty and warned that harboring Hasina would constitute “a serious act of unfriendly conduct” and “a travesty of justice”.​
However, India has maintained a studied silence on extradition requests, merely acknowledging receipt without further comment. The extradition treaty includes provisions allowing denial if the offense is deemed political in nature. South Asian studies specialist Devirupa Mitra observed, “Under no circumstances is India going to extradite her,” highlighting the delicate diplomatic balance India must maintain.​
Uncertain Future
In an email interview with Reuters in October 2024, Hasina stated she would not return to Bangladesh under any government formed after elections that exclude her Awami League party, and plans to remain in India. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed, has maintained that she and the Awami League will remain active in Bangladeshi politics and that she would return once elections are declared.​
The 78-year-old former leader, who once served as the world’s longest-serving female head of government and appeared on Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people, now faces 152 cases in Bangladesh including 135 for murder and seven for crimes against humanity and genocide. She has dismissed the tribunal proceedings as a “farce trial” driven by “political vendetta,” while the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has opposed the death penalty imposed on her.​
As Bangladesh’s interim government prepares for national elections in February 2026, Sheikh Hasina remains in exile, her political legacy deeply tarnished by revelations of human rights abuses, financial corruption, and the brutal crackdown that ended her rule. The daughter of Bangladesh’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whose entire family was assassinated in 1975, now finds herself living a reclusive life in Delhi—a dramatic fall from power that mirrors the violent political history that has shaped her life.