In a major development from Bangladesh, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to six months in prison by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for contempt of court. This marks the first time the 72-year-old politician has been convicted since she was ousted from office in August 2024. The ruling was delivered on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, by a three-member bench of the ICT-1, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder. The tribunal cited a leaked phone conversation from last year in which Ms. Hasina appeared to make comments that the court deemed an attempt to “undermine the judiciary.”
The Leaked Phone Call That Sparked Contempt Charges
The case centers around an audio clip that circulated widely on social media in 2024. In the recording, Ms. Hasina allegedly tells former Gobindaganj upazila chairman and expelled Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader Shakil Akand Bulbul:
“I have had 227 cases filed against me, so I have received a licence to kill 227 people.”
The tribunal labeled the remark not only contemptuous but also a “blatant attempt to threaten and delegitimize the judiciary.”
Shakil Akand Bulbul, who was on the call with Ms. Hasina, was also found guilty and sentenced to two months in prison. According to the state-run BSS news agency, both sentences will take effect from the date of arrest or voluntary surrender.
Legal Troubles Mount for the Former Premier
This sentence is just the beginning of Ms. Hasina’s legal battles. Since her dramatic exit from power on August 5, 2024, following a nationwide student-led uprising, the former leader has been facing a flurry of cases ranging from corruption to human rights violations.
The uprising, which was one of the largest in Bangladesh’s recent history, forced Hasina and many of her close allies to flee Dhaka. Several members of her ruling Awami League, along with former ministers and top officials, were either arrested or are still on the run, both domestically and internationally.
The movement had erupted over alleged election rigging, growing authoritarianism, and suppression of dissent, which critics say became rampant during Hasina’s final years in office.
Who Leads Bangladesh Now?
In the aftermath of Hasina’s ouster, Bangladesh entered a transitional phase. In a historic and widely welcomed move, 84-year-old Nobel laureate and Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus was appointed as the head of an interim government in August 2024. His leadership was backed by a coalition of opposition groups, civil society, and international observers.
Under his administration, a clean-up of Bangladesh’s political and administrative systems has begun, with an emphasis on judicial independence, transparency, and accountability.
International Crimes Tribunal: A New Focus
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal, originally set up in 2010 to prosecute collaborators of the 1971 Liberation War, has now taken on broader responsibilities. Since 2024, the tribunal has expanded its purview to include allegations of crimes against humanity, political abuse, and systemic corruption involving former state actors.
Ms. Hasina and several high-ranking Awami League members are among those being prosecuted under these new mandates. The tribunal’s recent actions reflect a significant shift in Bangladesh’s judicial landscape, which had long been accused of political bias and selective application of justice.
The Road Ahead for Hasina
At 72, Sheikh Hasina now faces not just jail time, but the prospect of multiple convictions across a spectrum of charges. Her political future appears uncertain, and with several allies either imprisoned or in hiding, the once-mighty Awami League finds itself in disarray.
Legal experts suggest that Wednesday’s contempt ruling could influence the outcomes of her other pending cases, as it sets a precedent for holding former leaders accountable—even at the highest levels.
Human rights groups and opposition voices have welcomed the verdict as a “small but significant step toward justice,” while Hasina’s remaining supporters have decried it as politically motivated.
Sheikh Hasina’s sentencing marks a turning point in Bangladesh’s political history. For the first time, a former prime minister has been held legally accountable after leaving office, in a case that touches not just on her actions but the deeper question of how leaders wield power.
As the tribunal continues its work and the interim government prepares for fresh elections, Bangladesh stands at a crossroads—between its authoritarian past and a potentially more democratic future.
