'Her Resolve Moved Me': Taslima Nasreen Backs Sheikh Hasina's Plan To Return To Bangladesh
News world 'Her Resolve Moved Me': Taslima Nasreen Backs Sheikh Hasina's Plan To Return To Bangladesh 'Her Resolve Moved Me': Taslima Nasreen Backs Sheikh Hasina's
News world 'Her Resolve Moved Me': Taslima Nasreen Backs Sheikh Hasina's Plan To Return To Bangladesh 'Her Resolve Moved Me': Taslima Nasreen Backs Sheikh Hasina's Plan To Return To Bangladesh Published By, Last Updated: August 06, 2026, 00:24 IST During her virtual address from New Delhi, Hasina said she was determined to return to Bangladesh and "put the country back on the right track". Taslima Nasreen (File photo) Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen has backed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s plan to return to Bangladesh after listening to her first public media address since leaving the country during the August 2024 unrest. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Nasreen said Hasina’s determination to return home had deeply moved her. She said that, as someone who has lived in exile for 32 years, she understood the pain of being away from one’s homeland. “Even after spending two years away from her country, there was no sign of hesitation in her voice," Nasreen wrote.
“There was an unmistakable determination to return home. As someone who has lived in exile for thirty-two years, I understand the longing to return to one’s homeland. Her resolve moved me." During her virtual address from New Delhi, Hasina said she was determined to return to Bangladesh and “put the country back on the right track". She also said she was prepared to face prison or even death. “I know they may put me in jail or kill me… I will go back home to be with my people," Hasina said. Defends Hasina’s right to speak Nasreen criticised the Bangladesh government’s decision not to allow Hasina’s speech to be broadcast, calling the move undemocratic. “Regardless of who is in power, banning the voice of a political opponent is not democracy. Sheikh Hasina has every right to speak, to defend herself, and to return to her own country," she wrote. Nasreen also called for the ban on the Awami League to be lifted, saying the party’s future should be decided by voters through elections rather than by the government or the courts.
Calls for accountability While supporting Hasina’s right to return, Nasreen also said the former prime minister must accept responsibility for mistakes made during her time in office. “History cannot be fully explained by speaking only of conspiracies. Acknowledging one’s own mistakes is not a sign of weakness; it is the greatest mark of leadership," she added. The exiled Bangladeshi author also called for an independent and impartial investigation to establish the truth behind the 2024 student movement and the violence that followed. “I want Sheikh Hasina to return to Bangladesh—not to become the victim of murder, execution, or political vengeance, but with the guarantee of an independent, impartial, transparent, and internationally credible judicial process.," she added. She ended her post by saying that justice must address crimes committed both during Hasina’s time in office and after her removal, stressing that “justice cannot be selective". “Bangladesh must move beyond the politics of revenge… If she truly wishes to begin again, she must openly admit her grave political mistakes and commit never again to compromise on the principles of secularism." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad.
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