Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Contempt

A Bangladesh court on Wednesday sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to six months in prison in a contempt of court case. The verdict was delivered by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT), marking the first conviction against the ex-premier since her ouster from office nearly a year ago.

The three-member tribunal bench, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, ruled that the sentence will come into effect from the day Hasina is either arrested or voluntarily surrenders to authorities. The case stems from a leaked phone conversation reportedly involving Hasina and Shakil Akand Bulbul, a political activist and former member of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the Awami League.

In the controversial audio clip, which surfaced in October 2024, a voice alleged to be Hasina’s can be heard saying, “227 cases have been filed against me, so I have obtained a licence to kill 227 people.” Prosecutors argued that the statement constituted contempt of court, claiming it sought to intimidate the judiciary and undermine ongoing war crimes trials related to last year's political unrest.

Alongside Hasina, the tribunal also sentenced Bulbul to two months in prison under the same contempt ruling.

Political Turmoil and Hasina's Ouster

This ruling comes nearly 11 months after Hasina was forced to flee Bangladesh in the wake of massive anti-government protests. In August 2024, her Awami League government collapsed following weeks of nationwide demonstrations led by the Students Against Discrimination (SAD). Initially sparked by demands for reforms in government job quotas, the movement quickly escalated into a broader rebellion against political repression and authoritarian rule.

According to a United Nations report, the violent clashes between security forces and protesters claimed an estimated 1,400 lives between mid-July and mid-August 2024. On August 5, amid growing unrest and international pressure, Sheikh Hasina fled to India, entering self-imposed exile.

Several of her former ministers and senior Awami League officials are now facing investigations and legal proceedings related to the government's handling of the uprising. The transitional political vacuum was filled on August 8, when Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, aged 85, was appointed to head Bangladesh’s interim administration.

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