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Published : 02 Jul 2025, 02:26 PM
Ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in the face of the student-led mass uprising last year, has been sentenced to six months in jail by International Crimes Tribunal for contempt of court.
Shakil Akand Bulbul, a leader of the Awami League's banned student affiliate Chhatra League from Gaibandha's Gobindaganj, was jailed for two months in connection with the same case.
The three-member tribunal led by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder delivered the verdict on Wednesday.
This marks the first time Hasina has been sentenced in any case since she left office and fled the country 11 months ago.
The contempt case stemmed from a leaked audio recording of a supposed phone conversation between Hasina, currently residing in India, and Chhatra League leader Shakil. In the recording, a voice alleged to be Hasina’s is heard saying: “There are 227 cases against me, so I now have a licence to kill 227 people.”
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) later conducted a forensic analysis and confirmed the authenticity of the audio.
The charges were filed against hasina and Shakil by the ICT's Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam on Apr 30.
The tribunal accepted the charges that day and ordered the accused to respond by May 15. When they failed to do so, the tribunal issued a summons on May 25 for them to appear in court.
The prosecution later said that despite the public notice published in newspapers summoning the accused, neither appeared before the court nor submitted an explanation through a lawyer. In such circumstances, the tribunal has the authority to issue a sentence under the law.
Although the law does not require the appointment of a state-funded lawyer in such cases, the court appointed a legal representative for Hasina “in the interest of justice”.
For the full hearing of the case, the ICT appointed AY Mashiuzzaman as amicus curiae (a friend of the court).
Following the hearing, the court on Wednesday found both Hasina and Shakil guilty and delivered its verdict.
The ICT was originally established by the Awami League government in 2010 to try war crimes committed in 1971. After the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5, 2024, the interim government initiated trials against Hasina and her associates under the same tribunal.
So far, three arrest warrants have been issued by the tribunal against Hasina. Among them, one warrant is based on five charges of crimes against humanity for her role in suppressing the July Uprising. It also includes former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan.
The interim government has amended the law to allow for the trial of the Awami League as a political party for its role in the July–August crackdown. Until that trial is concluded, a ban has been imposed on all activities of the Awami League.
