NEW DELHI: Former PM Sheikh Hasina — living in India since her govt’s ouster in 2024 — has said she plans to return to Bangladesh “later this year” and said “I do not fear death”. Her rivals termed her remarks “a tactic to exert pressure” in a bid to disrupt the current political situation in the country, reports Ahsan Tasnim. Her remarks also come at a time when political circles in Dhaka are abuzz with reports of a resurgence of her banned Awami League in both rural and urban areas — a perceived revival that prompted the Tarique Rahman govt to allow its members to contest local polls, albeit only as independent candidates.Declaring that Awami League is not merely an organisation but a “force” and that any attack on minorities is an attack on Bangladesh’s independence, Hasina, in an interview to NDTV, said, “My return is not a question of personal ambition. It is tied to a far larger question: the political rights of the people of Bangladesh, the restoration of democracy, the rule of law, and the spirit of our Liberation War.” On Hasina asserting “I will return to my country this year”, members of governing BNP and opposition Jamaat-eIslami (JeI) sought to remind her of the death sentence she faces in “crimes against humanity” cases and the several trials pending against her.“I do not fear death. In 1975, Ilost my parents, my brothers, and almost my entire family… There was an attempt to kill me with grenades. Many conspiracies have been hatched against me. But breaking through every web of conspiracy, I stood beside the people of Bangladesh, she said, terming the death penalty verdict a “part of an illegal, unconstitutional, and politically motivated process”. Hasina also attacked the Tarique Rahaman-led BNP govt and previous Muhammad Yunus-led interim govt, saying, “There is no democracy. There is no rule of law. There is no security. The economy has weakened. Minorities are under attack. Extremism is spreading.” However, a source close to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said, “We are not concerned at all. She and her party men continue to repeat these statements, which may be tactic to exert pressure on us. But this is a govt elected with an overwhelming majority. People are with us.” JeI chief ATM Azharul Islam, however, questioned whether BNP was trying to rehabilitate Awami League. “You have called for banning Jamaat. Suppose we are banned. Who will fill that vacuum? Will you run the country alone? Do you want to establish a one-party rule? Are you trying to rehabilitate the Awami League?” he asked.