Sheikh Hasina Sentenced To Six Months In Jail For Contempt By Bangladesh War Crimes Tribunal

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to six months in prison by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for contempt of court, local media reported on Wednesday.

The verdict was announced by a three-member bench of the International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder. Alongside Hasina, the tribunal also sentenced Shakil Akand Bulbul, a resident of Gobindaganj in Gaibandha, to two months in prison in the same case.

The tribunal said Hasina had ignored its notice asking her to appear in court. As a result, the sentence was passed in her absence.

First conviction after Sheikh Hasina's ouster

This marks the first conviction against Sheikh Hasina since she was removed from power and left the country nearly a year ago.

Hasina's 15-year rule under the Awami League came to an end on August 5, 2024, after a massive student-led uprising forced her to resign. Protesters had stormed her official residence, breaking a military-imposed curfew.

Following her resignation, Hasina fled to India, where she is believed to be staying.

Charged with crimes against humanity

Hasina, along with former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and ex-Police Chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, is also facing serious charges of crimes against humanity.

These include mass killings and enforced disappearances during the July-August 2024 protests, which saw widespread clashes and a brutal crackdown by security forces.

The formal charges were filed on June 1, 2025, after months of investigation. According to reports, around 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15, 2024, even after the fall of Hasina's government.

Tribunal was originally set up by Hasina

Ironically, the International Crimes Tribunal that has now sentenced Hasina was created by her own government in 2009. Its aim was to investigate war crimes committed by the Pakistani army and its collaborators during Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War.

Under her rule, the tribunal sentenced six senior leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami and one BNP leader to death, sparking both praise and criticism from different quarters.

Now, the tribunal is hearing cases related to more recent violence, including the alleged abuses committed during the final months of Hasina's regime.

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