A Bangladesh court, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to six months in prison. The ruling, related to a contempt of court case, was handed down by a tribunal composed of three members and led by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder. The ICT had appointed senior lawyer A Y Moshiuzzaman as amicus curiae for the full hearing. The contempt of court complaint was filed by the Chief Prosecutor against Sheikh Hasina and Awami League leader Shakil Alam Bulbul on April 30th due to their remarks concerning the July mass uprising.
Sheikh Hasina is accused of being the mastermind behind grave offenses, including crimes against humanity, murders, and the burning of bodies, which occurred during the 2024 movement. An audio recording, verified by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), contains a statement attributed to her: “There are 227 cases against me, so I have a license to kill 227 people”. The prosecution noted Sheikh Hasina’s failure to appear or provide a legal explanation after being notified. The Awami League issued a statement condemning a ‘kangaroo court’ set up by anti-independence forces earlier in the day. After Sheikh Hasina left for India on August 5th, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus became the head of the interim government.
