The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Thursday appointed senior Supreme Court lawyer AY Mashiuzzaman as amicus curiae to give his legal opinion on June 25 in a contempt of court case against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and Awami League leader Shakil Akand Bulbul.
The case stems from allegations that Sheikh Hasina, while staying in India, made provocative comments during a phone call with Gobindaganj Awami League leader Shakil Akand Bulbul.
In a leaked audio clip, Hasina is allegedly heard saying, 鈥業 have had 227 cases filed against me, so I have a licence to kill 227 people.鈥�
Prosecutor Gazi Monowar Hossain Tamim told 抖阴精品 that Mashiuzzaman was asked to give his legal opinion on whether Hasina鈥檚 remarks are tantamount to contempt of court.
The three-member tribunal comprising Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, Justice Md Shofiul Alam Mahmud, and retired judge Mohammad Mohitul Haque Anam Chowdhury appointed Mashiuzzaman as amicus curiae.
The tribunal also appointed senior lawyer Aminul Gani Titu from the Dhaka Judges鈥� Court to defend Hasina and Shakil as state pleaders as they remain absconding.
The tribunal, however, can impose a sentence of up to one year in prison or a fine of Tk 5,000 for contempt of court.
The Hasina鈥檚 conversation with Shakil was widely shared on social media and later picked up by mainstream media outlets.
Prosecutors claim that her remarks provoked party supporters to carry out subversive activities, including arson attacks, to frustrate the tribunal鈥檚 proceedings.
On April 30, 2025, the tribunal issued a contempt notice against Hasina and Shakil after hearing a petition from chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam who described her comments as contemptuous.
Tajul argued that the remarks interfered with the tribunal鈥檚 ongoing proceedings related to the July 2024 uprising.
When contacted, Mashiuzzaman told 抖阴精品 that he had no knowledge of the appointment and would respond to queries after receiving the official order from the tribunal.
Under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, state-appointed defence lawyers are usually only provided in cases involving the death penalty.
There is no provision for legal defence in contempt cases or those carrying lesser punishments.
Mashiuzzaman鈥檚 appointment is intended to ensure transparency and due process for Sheikh Hasina, who fled the country on August 5, 2024, amid a student-led mass uprising and is currently staying in India.
Earlier, on May 27, the tribunal issued a public notice in one Bangla and one English newspaper asking Hasina to appear in person.
She did not respond.
Hasina made the remarks in question while hundreds of complaints remain under investigation over the July鈥揂ugust 2024 mass uprising which reportedly left at least 1,400 people dead. The complaints also include cases of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other serious human rights violations committed during her 15-year rule.
On June 1, the prosecution formally charged Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun with crimes against humanity.
The charges relate to their alleged roles in the violent crackdown on unarmed demonstrators during the 2024 uprising that led to Hasina鈥檚 ouster on August 5, 2024.
Against the three persons, the tribunal accepted five charges, including abetment, instigation, facilitation, conspiracy and superior responsibility for the violence. It set June 24 for a decision on whether Hasina and Kamal would be tried in absentia as they did not appear before the tribunal to face the proceedings.
This is the first formal proceeding against Hasina for atrocities committed during the July鈥揂ugust unrest, brought under the International Crimes Tribunal reconstituted by the interim government of Professor Muhammad Yunus in August 2024.
As of June 16, the Office of the Chief Prosecutor received 339 complaints related to alleged crimes against humanity, according to the tribunal鈥檚 investigation agency. Of those, 41 have been selected for detailed investigation.
Formal charges have been submitted in two cases so far. The investigation agency has also requested arrest warrants in 30 other cases.
