Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in self-exile, has been handed a six-month prison sentence by the International Crimes Tribunal on Wednesday in a contempt of court case, according to a senior prosecutor.
Hasina, who fled to India after violent student-led protests last August, faces multiple legal cases. However, this is the first time she has been convicted since leaving the country.
Alongside Hasina, Shakil Akand Bulbul, a leader of the banned student wing Chhatra League affiliated with her Awami League party, was also sentenced to two months in prison in the same case, Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam told the media. The Awami League, once led by Hasina, has been outlawed under the current administration.
The three-member tribunal, chaired by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, delivered the verdict in their absence. The sentences will come into force upon their arrest or voluntary surrender, the prosecutor added.
The contempt charges arose after a leaked audio recording allegedly captured Hasina stating, “there are 227 cases against me, so I now have a licence to kill 227 people.” Government forensic analysis has confirmed the recording’s authenticity.
The tribunal itself was established in 2010 during Hasina’s tenure to investigate and prosecute 1971 war crimes.
Bangladesh is currently governed by an interim administration under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which has vowed to hold former leaders accountable for corruption and human rights violations, including the deadly crackdown on last year’s student uprising that led to Hasina’s overthrow.
So far, the tribunal has issued three arrest warrants against Hasina, including charges related to crimes against humanity during the July protests. Her Awami League party remains banned while legal proceedings continue against its members.
Hasina’s supporters argue that the charges are politically driven, but the interim government maintains the prosecutions are essential to reestablish accountability and public trust in the country’s democratic institutions.
