Sheikh Hasina Gave Direct 'Shoot' Orders In 2024 Protest Crackdown: Report

A leaked phone call authenticated by the BBC has revealed that former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina personally ordered security forces to open fire on student demonstrators during last year's mass protests. In the recording, Hasina is heard directing officials to use lethal weapons, stating: "Wherever they find [them], they will shoot."

The call, made on 18 July 2024 from her official residence in Dhaka, captures Hasina instructing a senior official: "I have ordered all of them to be arrested tonight. Everyone has been informed. Wherever you find them, catch them. I have issued an open order. Now, they will use lethal weapons. Wherever they find [them], they will shoot."

The protests initially erupted over a controversial civil service job quota system but soon escalated into a nationwide movement, ultimately forcing Hasina from office. According to UN investigators, the violent crackdown that followed claimed the lives of at least 1,400 people, making it the deadliest wave of political violence in Bangladesh since the 1971 war.

The leaked conversation came during a peak moment of public anger, as graphic footage of police violence against demonstrators spread rapidly on social media. Prosecutors now plan to submit the recording as key evidence in Hasina's trial in absentia for crimes against humanity. Experts say the phone call provides the most direct evidence yet of her personal authorization of lethal force against largely unarmed student protesters.

One of the bloodiest incidents occurred on August 5, 2024, in Dhaka's Jatrabari area, where police allegedly opened fire indiscriminately after army forces withdrew. At least 52 people were killed in that single incident-far higher than earlier estimates, according to newly uncovered reports.

Hasina currently faces multiple charges, including incitement, conspiracy, and issuing illegal orders that led to mass killings. She fled to India just before her government collapsed and remains there. Despite formal requests from Dhaka, India has not extradited her, and legal analysts suggest she is unlikely to return voluntarily to face trial.

In total, 204 individuals, including Hasina and 203 former officials, have been indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal (ICT). Of these, 73 are currently in custody.

Since Hasina's ousting, Bangladesh has been governed by an interim administration led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who is now overseeing preparations for the upcoming national elections.