Bangladesh’s ousted leader sentenced to six months over a claim she had a license to kill

July 3, 2025
3,291 Views

DHAKA, Bangladesh — A special tribunal has sentenced Bangladesh’s former leader Sheikh Hasina to six months in jail after she was found in contempt of court for allegedly claiming she had a license to kill at least 227 people.

Wednesday’s sentence was the first in any case against Hasina since she fled to India during a mass uprising last year that toppled her 15-year rule.

The contempt case stemmed from a leaked audio recording of a supposed phone conversation between Hasina and a leader of the student wing of her political party. A person alleged to be Hasina is heard on the audio saying: “There are 227 cases against me, so I now have a license to kill 227 people.”

The Criminal Investigation Department confirmed the audio’s authenticity through forensic analysis.

The recording showed Hasina’s anger at the charges of murder and numerous other crimes against her under the interim administration of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who vowed to punish Hasina and her top aides for the deaths of hundreds of people in the uprising against her.

Key Speakers On Day Two Of The Qatar Economic Forum
Sheikh Hasina in Doha, Qatar in 2023.Christopher Pike / Bloomberg via Getty Images

The sentencing by the Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal came as a trial against her being held in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity began in June.

The tribunal had ordered Hasina and her former home minister to respond by May 15. When they failed to do so, the tribunal summoned them May 25 to appear in court June 16. Later the tribunal asked for notices to be published in newspapers asking Hasina to appear.

The prosecution said later neither of the suspects appeared before the court or explained their absence through a lawyer. In such circumstances, the tribunal has the authority to issue a sentence under the law.

Hasina and her Awami League party had earlier criticized the tribunal and its prosecution team for their connection with political parties, especially with the Jamaat-e-Islami party.

The Yunus-led government has banned the former ruling Awami League party and amended laws to allow for the party to be prosecuted for its role during the uprising.

In February, the U.N. human rights office estimated that up to 1,400 people may have been killed in Bangladesh over three weeks in the crackdown on the student-led protests against Hasina, who was the country’s longest serving prime minister.

The tribunal was established by Hasina in 2009 to investigate and try crimes involving Bangladesh’s independence war in 1971. The tribunal under Hasina tried politicians, mostly from the Jamaat-e-Islami party, for their actions during the nine-month war against Pakistan. Aided by India, Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina’s father and the country’s first leader.

Source link

You may be interested

Justin Bieber ‘Go Baby’ Matches CPR Tempo
Music
shares2,574 views
Music
shares2,574 views

Justin Bieber ‘Go Baby’ Matches CPR Tempo

new admin - Jul 29, 2025

[ad_1] "Go Baby," a deep cut from Bieber's new album Swag, has 120 beats per minute, which matches the pacing…

Yelp is creating its own AI videos about restaurants
Technology
shares3,231 views
Technology
shares3,231 views

Yelp is creating its own AI videos about restaurants

new admin - Jul 29, 2025

Yelp is going to use AI to stitch together user-posted content about restaurants, food, and nightlife businesses to make short…

Suspect in Devil’s Den double homicide may have been injured in attack, police say
Top Stories
shares2,573 views
Top Stories
shares2,573 views

Suspect in Devil’s Den double homicide may have been injured in attack, police say

new admin - Jul 29, 2025

The Arkansas State Police said they believe the suspect in the murder of a couple hiking with their daughters at…