Ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to Six Months in Contempt of Court Case

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to six months in prison by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Wednesday in a contempt of court case.

The verdict was delivered by a three-member bench of the ICT-1, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, as reported by The Dhaka Tribune.

The tribunal also sentenced Shakil Akand Bulbul from Gobindaganj, Gaibandha, to two months in prison in the same case.

This marks the first time Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced in any legal case since she left the country nearly a year ago.

Charges of Crimes Against Humanity

In June, prosecutors at the International Crimes Tribunal formally charged Hasina with crimes against humanity linked to last year’s mass protests.

Chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam accused Hasina of orchestrating a “systemic attack” on demonstrators opposing her government.

According to a United Nations rights report, around 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15, 2024, as violence continued even after the Awami League regime fell.

Hasina, however, has denied the accusations. Her defence lawyer Amir Hossain stated that Hasina would present her arguments to seek discharge from the allegations.

Hasina Living in Exile in India

Following the collapse of the Awami League government amid widespread protests, Hasina arrived in India in August 2024. She is currently residing in a safe house in New Delhi.

The Awami League, in an official statement, expressed outrage over the six-month sentence, calling it “unlawful and unconstitutional.”

The party rejected the verdict, describing the case as “false and farcical” and highlighting Hasina’s identity as the daughter of Bangladesh’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The Leaked Audio Clip and Tribunal’s Ruling

The contempt case was filed based on a leaked phone conversation that circulated on social media.

In the audio, Sheikh Hasina is allegedly heard telling former Gobindaganj upazila chairman and banned Chhatra League leader Shakil Akand Bulbul, “I have had 227 cases filed against me, so I have received a licence to kill 227 people.”

The tribunal considered the remark an attempt to interfere with the judicial process and a contemptuous statement undermining the court.

Shakil Akand Bulbul, also convicted in the same case, received a two-month prison sentence. The tribunal ruled that the sentences would take effect from the date of arrest or voluntary surrender.

Awami League Condemns the Verdict

The Awami League condemned the tribunal’s decision, claiming the proceedings were driven by the “illegitimate and unconstitutional” interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

The party accused the tribunal of violating legal norms and issuing a one-sided verdict without granting Hasina an opportunity to defend herself.

In its statement, the Awami League described the trial as a “mockery of justice” and “judicial terrorism” orchestrated by what they referred to as a militant regime.

The party also claimed that the tribunal did not hear arguments from Hasina’s legal team and ordered her to appear in court by May 25, despite her being abroad.

Awami League’s Allegations Against the Interim Government

The Awami League stated that the current interim government under Muhammad Yunus, who took over in August 2024, is pushing the country towards destruction.

The party blamed Yunus’s faction for ongoing mob violence, judicial overreach, and farcical legal proceedings.

“The extremist interim government under the killer Yunus is rapidly pushing the country toward destruction,” the party’s statement read. It further accused the government of undermining the rule of law and suppressing dissent.

Call for Public and Global Support

The Awami League urged the people of Bangladesh to rise against what it called the destruction of the legal system and the suppression of democratic rights.

It also appealed to the international community to take a stand against the developments in Bangladesh.

“We firmly believe the people of Bangladesh are preparing to resist this reign of destruction. Together with the people, we will defeat this murderous, militant clique,” the party stated.

Hasina Faces Multiple Legal Cases

Since being ousted from office on August 5, 2024, Sheikh Hasina has faced several legal cases in Bangladesh.

Following mass student-led protests, many Awami League leaders, ministers, and government officials were arrested or went into hiding, both inside the country and abroad.

The International Crimes Tribunal, formed in 2010 to prosecute collaborators of Pakistani forces from the 1971 Liberation War, is currently handling these cases. Hasina and other leaders of her former government face prosecution under this tribunal.