Sonia’s Book Hints at Sheikh Hasina’s Return From Exile and a Possible Second Stint as Prime Minister

Staff Correspondent

Sheikh Hasina, who returned to Bangladesh after serving a life of exile and became Prime Minister, has once again sparked new discussions about her return to Bangladeshi politics and the possibility of becoming Prime Minister again, centered on the autobiographical book by Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of the Indian Congress Parliamentary Party.

Sonia Gandhi wrote, ‘I first met Sheikh Hasina when she was in exile in India after the assassination of Bangabandhu. Then she returned to the country and became the Prime Minister 4 times. She has been exiled from Bangladesh again, many say that is the end of her politics but who knows if the past will repeat itself again! There is nothing surprising in that.

Sonia Gandhi’s newly released autobiography, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, was released on November 10. The 544-page book chronicles her personal life, the Gandhi family’s political history and her relationships with various international figures. It also touches on the Gandhi family’s long-standing relationship with former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family.

On August 15, 1975, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were killed. Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana were outside the country at that time, but survived. They then took refuge in India. After a long exile, Sheikh Hasina returned to the country on May 17, 1981. Earlier, in February of the same year, she was elected the president of the Awami League.

After returning home, Sheikh Hasina established the leadership of the Awami League through a long political struggle. She became Prime Minister for the first time in 1996. After forming the government for the second time in 2009, she remained in power for more than 15 consecutive years. When her government fell on August 5, 2024, she left the country for India. The former Prime Minister has been living there since then.

Return from exile again?

Sheikh Hasina’s history of exile and return is not new to her political career. Although she was forced to leave the country after the political turmoil of 1975, she returned to the country and became active in politics in 1981. Nearly four decades later, in 2024, she was forced to leave the country again after being ousted from power.

However, the situation this time is much more complicated than before. Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death by the International Criminal Tribunal in 2025 for crimes against humanity in the suppression of the 2024 movement. She has rejected the verdict. On the other hand, the Bangladesh government has requested India to extradite her to bring her back to the country.

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Sheikh Hasina expressed her desire to return to the country in December.

He said he wants to return home, even if he risks arrest, imprisonment, or death. However, his path to return and political future are still uncertain.

Relationship with the Gandhi family

Sheikh Hasina’s relationship with the Gandhi family has a historical basis. The then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi played a significant role during Bangladesh’s liberation war. She also had close political and personal relations with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Sheikh Hasina’s relationship with the Gandhi family grew closer during her stay in India after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975. Sheikh Hasina and her family’s contact with India under the leadership of Indira Gandhi holds a special place in the history of the relationship between the two families.

Sheikh Hasina maintained personal and political contact with Sonia Gandhi in the subsequent period. Sonia Gandhi has written to Sheikh Hasina on several occasions congratulating her on her electoral victory. She has also praised Sheikh Hasina’s leadership in the development of Bangladesh and the historic India-Bangladesh relations.

In a message sent on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence and Bangabandhu’s birth centenary in 2021, Sonia Gandhi recalled Indira Gandhi’s role in the Liberation War and her friendship with Bangabandhu. She referred to 1971 as a transformative year for Bangladesh and India.