Lesedi Molapisi returns home after release from Bangladesh prison
02 Sep 2026
Botswana national Lesedi Molapisi is expected to arrive home today after being released from prison in Bangladesh, more than four years after she was arrested and later sentenced to death for a drug-smuggling offence.
Speaking in an interview the Minister for International Relations Dr Phenyo Butale confirmed that Molapisi has been released and will return to Botswana as a free person.
Molapisi was arrested on 23 January 2022 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, after she was found in possession of narcotics. She was subsequently convicted of a drug-smuggling offence and sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi court on 27 May 2024.
Dr Butale said her release was the result of sustained efforts by the Botswana Government and several other individuals and organisations who worked to secure her freedom.
President Duma Gideon Boko personally appealed for executive clemency and the commutation of Molapisi’s death sentence, while the Ministry of International Relations pursued the matter through diplomatic channels.
Dr Butale said he engaged with Bangladesh’s former Interim Prime Minister Dr Muhammad Yunus and the country’s current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Khalilur Rahman, as part of efforts to secure Molapisi’s release.
Botswana’s diplomatic missions in South Africa and India were also involved in the case, providing consular assistance and engaging with Bangladeshi authorities.
According to Dr Butale, the efforts extended beyond government, with Botswana working with local and international human-rights organisations, including Ditshwanelo, to ensure Molapisi received the necessary legal representation.
“Former President Ian Khama was also among those who played a role in efforts surrounding the case”He said
Dr Butale has appealed to members of the public to give Molapisi and her family privacy as she returns home, cautioning against unnecessary speculation, shame and the spread of rumours about a matter that the public may not fully understand.
After more than four years in detention and having faced the possibility of execution, Molapisi is now expected to return to Botswana today as a free woman. ENDS
Source : BOPA
Author : Bakang Wren
Location : Gaborone
Event : Interview
Date : 02 Sep 2026
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