The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday sentenced deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina to six months in prison for committing contempt of court.
This is the first conviction against Hasina since her ouster and fleeing to India on August 5, 2024 amid a mass uprising. She faced the trial in absentia.
The tribunal, comprising Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder, Justice Md Shafiul Alam Mahmood and retired judge Md Mohitul Haque Anan Chawdhury, also sentenced absconding Awami League leader Shakil Akond Bulbul from Gobindaganj to two months in jail on the same charges.
The tribunal said that the sentences would take effect immediately upon the arrest or voluntary surrender of the contemners.
The deposed prime minister is now facing several hundred cases linked to the July鈥揂ugust 2024 mass uprising.
The contempt case arose from allegations that Hasina, while staying in India, made provocative remarks during a phone call with Shakil on October 25, 2024.
In a leaked audio clip, Hasina is heard saying, 鈥業 have had 227 cases filed against me, so I have a licence to kill 227 people.鈥�
Hasina, in the leaked conversation, said that she was accused of killing 227 people and claimed the punishment would be the same whether it was for one murder or for murdering 227 people.
She asked Shakil to prepare a list of the people who had been filing cases against her party leaders and activists, and wanted to know whether the people wanted to keep their jobs.
When Shakil informed her that houses of local Awami League leaders were burned by BNP-Jamaat activists, Hasina responded by saying, 鈥業f we have no houses, they won鈥檛 have any either.鈥�
Shakil tried to calm her, asking her not to make statements like she did during an online group conversation where he was connected. In response, Hasina said that she deliberately wanted her message to reach her opponents.
The leaked conversations were played before the tribunal during the hearing. 聽聽
The tribunal found her guilty of making instigating remarks that, according to the judges, undermined the justice process and created fear among witnesses, prosecutors, and court officials involved in the legal process of pending July-August mass uprising cases.
The tribunal was formed in 2009 by the Awami League regime to try 1971 war crimes suspects. After the August 5, 2024 fall of the Awami League regime, the interim government reconstituted the tribunal mainly to prosecute those responsible for the July鈥揂ugust 2024 atrocities.
In its judgment, the tribunal observed that Hasina鈥檚 remarks were not only contemptuous but also appeared to be part of a 鈥榩remeditated plan鈥� to interfere with the course of justice and intimidate key actors in the legal process.
The tribunal said that her comments amounted to a direct threat to the rule of law and judicial independence.
The court held that Hasina鈥檚 conduct created fear among all stakeholders involved in the tribunal鈥檚 work鈥攙ictims, witnesses, prosecutors, and court staff鈥攁nd amounted to serious interference with judicial proceedings.
While the law allows for a maximum penalty of one year in prison or a Tk 5,000 fine for contempt, the tribunal chose to impose a six-month custodial sentence on Hasina, considering the gravity of the offence.
Shakil was given a two-month sentence, as the tribunal found that although he did not make any remarks himself, he encouraged Hasina by responding affirmatively.
The conversation between Hasina and Shakil was widely shared on social media and was later picked up by mainstream media outlets.
Chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam contended that her remarks provoked her party supporters to carry out subversive activities, including arson attacks, obstructing the tribunal鈥檚 proceedings and administration of justice.
The remarks also frightened the witnesses, victims and prosecutors related to the 227 cases, records of which were called up to the office of the chief prosecutor of the two international crimes tribunals for investigation into the crimes against humanity cases relating to the July-August uprising.
Tajul said that at least five of the 227 murder cases came to the tribunals for trials and others would come accordingly.聽聽聽
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 and frightened him.
On May 27, the tribunal issued a public notice in one Bangla newspaper and one English newspaper asking Hasina to appear in person. She did not respond to the notice.
The punishment was given under Section 11(4) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1971, which states, 鈥楢 Tribunal may punish any person, who obstructs or abuses its process or disobeys any of its orders or directions, or does anything which tends to prejudice the case of a party before it, or tends to bring it or any of its members into hatred or contempt, or does anything which constitutes contempt of the Tribunal, with simple imprisonment which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to Taka five thousand, or with both.鈥�
The tribunal found that a leaked conversation between Hasina and Shakil contained threatening and prejudicial remarks that obstructed justice in the ongoing case related to the July-August uprising. The proceedings were initiated under Section 11(4) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, and Rule 45 of the Tribunal Rules of Procedure, 2010.
According to the verdict, Hasina claimed in the conversation that she had a 鈥榣icense to kill 227 people鈥�, and called on party leaders to 鈥榖urn down the houses鈥� of her political rivals who were pursuing legal action against her and her associates. The tribunal found these remarks to be aimed at intimidating witnesses, victims, prosecutors, and court officials involved in pending cases.
As the contemners remained absent, the tribunal appointed Amir Hossain, a pro-Awami League lawyer, as a state defence counsel.
Amir argued that the audio conversations had not been authenticated in court by forensic experts from the Criminal Investigation Department.
Additionally, the tribunal appointed AY Mashiuzzaman as amicus curiae to provide an independent legal opinion.
Mashiuzzaman opined that any statement obstructing the justice process in pending cases may constitute contempt, but it is ultimately for the court to decide.
CID鈥檚 forensic report confirmed the authenticity of the leaked audio clips.
The tribunal noted that neither the accused nor the Awami League officially denied the contents of the conversations, which had been widely circulated in print, electronic, and online media.
Chief prosecutor Tajul Islam submitted the CID report and an internal prosecution investigation report, asserting that the conversations were genuine and prejudicial to the ongoing trials.
Hundreds of complaints against Hasina are now 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 pressed crimes against humanity charges against Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun before the tribunal which began hearing charges against the trio on July 1.
The hearing was adjourned until July 7.
The crimes against humanity 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.
The charge sheet stated that more than 1,500 people were killed and 25,000 others injured during the crackdown, where lethal weapons and helicopters were used.
Drones were also deployed to locate the protesters, mainly students, who were then tortured and detained.
It also said that a total of 3,05,311 rounds of bullets were used across the country, including 95,313 rounds in the capital alone.
Prosecutor Gazi Monowar Hossain Tamim told 抖阴精品 that the Chief Prosecutor鈥檚 Office received at least 350聽 complaints over crimes against humanity during the July鈥揂ugust 2024 uprising.
A total of 41 cases were shortlisted for investigation, and formal charges were filed in four cases, one of which is against Hasina, Asaduzzaman Khan, and former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun for superior responsibility over nationwide crimes and is at the charge hearing stage.
Another case over Chankharpool murders awaits trial by the ICT-1 while two cases, one linked to the murders of Abu Sayeed and the other related to six killings in Ashulia, are pending trial by the ICT-2.
