A special war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh has sentenced former PM Sheikh Hasina to six months in prison on contempt charges, local media reported on Wednesday, July 2. The ruling was delivered by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1), marking the first conviction against the ex-premier since her ouster nearly a year ago.
The tribunal, led by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder and comprising a three-member judicial panel, also handed a two-month prison sentence to Shakil Akand Bulbul, a political activist linked to the Awami League’s student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League. Bulbul hails from Gobindaganj in Gaibandha but is politically active in Dhaka.
The case centers on a leaked phone conversation allegedly recorded in October 2024, in which a voice attributed to Hasina is heard saying, “227 cases have been filed against me, so I have obtained a licence to kill 227 people.” Prosecutors argued that the statement amounted to contempt of court, claiming it sought to undermine judicial independence and intimidate those involved in ongoing war crimes trials related to last year’s political unrest.
Sheikh Hasina, long-time leader of the Awami League, was forced from power in August 2024 after weeks of mass protests led by the Students Against Discrimination (SAD).
Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, just days after her government was toppled. On August 8, 2024, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus was appointed head of Bangladesh’s interim government, tasked with overseeing a transition amid ongoing political and judicial upheaval.
