Hasina sentenced to 6 months jail by International Crimes Tribunal for contempt of court
A three-member tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, passed the order today after reviewing a purported leaked phone conversation involving Hasina that circulated on social media last year, Daily Star reported.
In the audio clip, Hasina is allegedly heard telling former Gobindaganj upazila chairman Shakil Akanda Bulbul, "I have had 227 cases filed against me, so I have received a licence to kill 227 people."
The tribunal considered the statement contemptuous and a direct attempt to undermine the court.
Shakil Akanda Bulbul, a leader of the Awami League's banned student affiliate Chhatra League from Gaibandha's Gobindaganj, has been sentenced to two months in prison for his role in the conversation.
According to tribunal sources, the sentence will take effect only once the convicts surrender before the court or are arrested by law-enforcers.
Once enforced, the sentence will be classified as non-rigorous imprisonment.
This marks the first time Hasina has been sentenced in any case since her ouster from office on August 5 last year, in the face of a so-called student-led protest, and her fleeing to New Delhi, India, where she has been staying since then under heavy security.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had conducted a forensic analysis and confirmed the authenticity of the audio.
The charges were filed against Hasina and Shakil by the ICT's Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam on April 30.
The tribunal accepted the charges that day and ordered the accused to respond by May 15. When they failed to do so, the tribunal issued a summons on May 25 for them to appear in court.
Although the law does not require the appointment of a state-funded lawyer in such cases, the court appointed a legal representative for Hasina 'in the interest of justice'.
For the full hearing of the case, the ICT appointed AY Mashiuzzaman as amicus curiae (a friend of the court).
Following the hearing, the court on Wednesday found both Hasina and Shakil guilty and delivered its verdict.
The ICT was originally established by the Awami League government in 2010 to try war crimes committed in 1971. After the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5, 2024, the interim government initiated trials against Hasina and her associates under the same tribunal.
So far, three arrest warrants have been issued by the tribunal against Hasina. Among them, one warrant is based on five charges of crimes against humanity for her role in suppressing the July Uprising.
The interim government has amended the law to allow for the trial of the Awami League as a political party for its role in the July–August crackdown. Until that trial is concluded, a ban has been imposed on all activities of the Awami League.
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