Bangladesh's Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina Sentenced To 6 Months In Jail In Contempt Of Court Case

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Wednesday sentenced former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to six months in Jail in a contempt of court case.

A three-member bench of the International Crimes Tribunal-1, headed by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, passed the verdict.

This marks the first conviction against the former Awami League leader since she was ousted from power nearly a year ago. Hasina, who fled to India on a military aircraft on August 5, 2024, following a student-led uprising, had been facing multiple allegations in the tribunal - including mass killings and enforced disappearances during the final months of her 16-year rule.

The ICT was established in 2010 to prosecute collaborators of the Pakistani military during the 1971 Liberation War. In addition to her sentence, Shakil Akand Bulbul of Gobindaganj in Gaibandha was sentenced to two months in jail in the same contempt case.

According to a UN human rights office report, at least 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15, 2024, as retaliatory violence gripped the country in the wake of Hasina's fall from power.

Yunus Vows to Prevent Return of Dictatorship

Ahead of the verdict, interim government chief Muhammad Yunus launched a month-long observance to commemorate last year's student-led July Uprising, which culminated in the toppling of Hasina's regime. Speaking at a rally on Tuesday, Yunus called on the public to remain vigilant and prevent any re-emergence of authoritarianism.

"We will observe this uprising every year so that we don't have to wait 16 more years to fight dictatorship again," Yunus said. "This is not just an emotional outcry. It is our collective resolve to nip dictatorship in the bud."

He added that the commemorative events throughout July and August would honor the memory of those who were "martyred and injured" during the protests-ranging from students to rickshaw pullers and workers.

The protest movement began under the banner of Students Against Discrimination (SAD) in July 2024, originally demanding changes in a controversial quota system for government jobs. However, it quickly evolved into a nationwide uprising that forced the collapse of Hasina's government within weeks.