New Delhi/Dhaka: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now living in exile in New Delhi, has said she will not return to Bangladesh unless her party, the Awami League, is allowed to take part in the upcoming national elections, reported NDTV.

Hasina, 78, fled to India in August 2024 after a student-led uprising forced her out of power. An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has since been in charge and plans to hold elections in February 2026.

Speaking to Reuters, Hasina called the ban on the Awami League “unjust and self-defeating,” saying millions of her supporters would not vote if the party is excluded. The Election Commission had suspended the party’s registration in May, citing national security concerns and war crimes investigations against its leaders.

Hasina also faces charges of crimes against humanity for the crackdown on student protests in 2024, which left over a thousand people dead. A verdict in her case is expected next month. Calling the charges politically motivated, she said the trial denied her a fair chance to defend herself.

Now living quietly in Delhi, Hasina said she feels safe but longs to return home “only when the government is legitimate and the rule of law is restored.”