The International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to six months in prison in a contempt of court case. Alongside her, Shakil Akand Bulbul, a Chhatra League leader from Gobindaganj, Gaibandha, received a two-month prison sentence in the same case.
The verdict was delivered on Wednesday (July 2) by a three-member tribunal led by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder. Despite there being no legal provision to appoint a lawyer at government expense in contempt cases, the court appointed a state lawyer for Sheikh Hasina in the interest of justice.
The charges stemmed from an audio clip that went viral, in which Hasina was allegedly heard saying, “There are 227 cases against me, so I have a license to kill 227 people.” The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) verified the clip’s authenticity through forensic analysis.
The Chief Prosecutor filed the contempt petition on April 30, and the tribunal accepted it, ordering Hasina and Bulbul to respond by May 15. As they failed to respond, they were summoned to appear on May 25. The tribunal also appointed an amicus curiae to ensure fair proceedings.
