New Delhi: Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was on Wednesday sentenced to six months in prison by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in a contempt of court case, according to The Dhaka Tribune.
A three-member bench of the International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, delivered the verdict. The tribunal also handed a two-month jail term to Shakil Akand Bulbul of Gobindaganj in Gaibandha under the same ruling.
First conviction for Hasina
The contempt charges stemmed from a leaked audio recording from October 2024, in which Hasina allegedly said, “227 cases have been filed against me, so I have obtained a licence to kill 227 people.” Prosecutors argued the remarks undermined the judiciary and amounted to an attempt to intimidate ongoing war crimes proceedings.
This marks the first conviction for the former Awami League leader since she was forced from office and fled to India nearly 11 months ago. Hasina has denied all charges. Her defence counsel, Amir Hossain, said she would present legal arguments seeking discharge from the allegations.
The ICT was established in 2009 during Hasina’s tenure to try war crimes committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. Ironically, the same tribunal has now found her guilty of contempt, a move that deepens the legal troubles facing the ex-premier.
Hasina is in India since August 2024
Hasina left the country in August 2024 following mass protests led by the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement, which began as a demand for quota reform but rapidly escalated into widespread unrest. A UN report estimated that 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 last year in the aftermath of the crackdown.
Hasina is currently living in a safe house in New Delhi. Several of her former ministers and senior officials are also facing legal action for their roles in last year’s violent suppression of protests.