Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.
The highlights this week: Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announces plans to return to the country in December, Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir visits Turkey amid deepening defense cooperation, and inflation rises in India after energy market shocks.
Hasina Threatens Homecoming
Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told Reuters last week that she plans to return to the country in December, along with other Awami League party leaders, and voluntarily present herself in court. She has been in India since August 2024, when her government was ousted amid mass protests.
Last November, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for crimes against humanity in connection with the crackdown on protesters—charges that she rejects as politically motivated. According to the United Nations, Hasina’s security forces used massive force against demonstrators, resulting in as many as 1,400 deaths.
