Sheikh Hasina gets 6 months in jail in contempt case

Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina was on Wednesday sentenced to six months in prison in a contempt of court case by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), according to a local media report. The verdict was issued by a three-member bench of the International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, The Dhaka Tribune newspaper said. In the same verdict, the tribunal sentenced Shakil Akand Bulbul of Gobindaganj in Gaibandha to two months in prison.

According to The Dhaka Tribune, the quantam of punishment for Hasina was decided by a three-member bench of the International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder. Hasina's sentence will take effect from the day of her arrest or surrender.The contempt case against Sheikh Hasina centered on a leaked phone call she allegedly made with Shakil Akand Bulbul in October of last year, The Dhaka Tribune reported. In that audio, a voice identified as Hasina reportedly said, "227 cases have been filed against me, so I have obtained a licence to kill 227 people"This is the first time the ousted Awami League chief has been convicted in any case since she was removed from office and went into exile in India 11 months ago.

Sheikh Hasina was forced out of office in August 2024 following weeks of violent protests led by the Students Against Discrimination (SAD), which began as a movement demanding quota reforms in government jobs but rapidly escalated. According to a United Nations report, an estimated 1,400 people were killed between mid-July and mid-August as clashes continued even after the Awami League government was toppled.