Bangladesh's Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam on Monday dismissed deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's reported plans to return to the country in December, describing her recent statements and request for travel documents as a "political stunt".
Islam said Hasina had taken no formal legal or administrative steps to facilitate her return or surrender before the court, indicating that she had no genuine intention of facing justice.
His remarks came after Hasina sought a new passport and national identity card to facilitate her proposed return to Bangladesh in December.
"This is nothing but a political stunt of hers," Islam said, according to the state-run BSS news agency. He alleged that her public declarations were aimed at confusing people and diverting attention from her status as a convicted fugitive.
Hasina, 79, has been living in India since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024 following a student-led uprising that brought down her government. Dhaka has repeatedly sought her extradition from New Delhi.
The Chief Prosecutor said that the special tribunal, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, had sentenced Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death in absentia for crimes against humanity committed during the July 2024 uprising.
"If she had any genuine intention of returning to Bangladesh and abiding by the law, she would have taken the necessary legal steps rather than making political statements," Islam said, as quoted by The Daily Star.
Hasina has denied wrongdoing and questioned the legitimacy of the proceedings against her. Despite the death sentence, she has recently reiterated her intention to return to Bangladesh in December.
Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kobir has ruled out issuing her any travel document or passport, describing the former prime minister as a "fugitive terrorist" and a "dictator".
India has acknowledged receiving Bangladesh's extradition requests for Hasina but is yet to announce a decision on handing her over. The Ministry of External Affairs has said the requests are being examined through established processes.
Meanwhile, several Awami League leaders who fled Bangladesh after the uprising have claimed in social media podcasts that preparations are underway for Hasina's return.
Some legal experts, however, have questioned the government's position, arguing that there is no ambiguity over Hasina's Bangladeshi citizenship and that she could return to the country even without a travel document.
