Ex-Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina sentenced to six months in jail for contempt by war crimes tribunal

In a historic ruling that underscores the deepening political and legal turmoil in Bangladesh, the country’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on July 2 sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to six months in prison in a contempt of court case.

The three-member judicial bench, led by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, handed down the verdict, marking the first legal conviction for the ousted Awami League leader since her dramatic departure from power nearly a year ago.

Hasina, who fled Bangladesh in August 2024 amid violent nationwide protests and a looming tribunal investigation, was convicted in absentia. The tribunal also sentenced another individual, Shakil Akand Bulbul of Gobindaganj in Gaibandha, to two months in prison.

The sentencing comes just weeks after the ICT formally charged Hasina with crimes against humanity, alleging her involvement in ordering mass killings during a wave of violent state crackdowns in July and August 2024. Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam and his team accused Hasina of being the chief instigator of the deadly response to the popular uprising.

Hasina resigned on August 5, 2024, as protesters flooded the streets of Dhaka defying a government-imposed curfew. According to reports, she vacated her official residence and boarded a helicopter out of the capital. The aircraft later landed at a BSF helipad in Agartala, India, after circling in Indian airspace. She was flown to Delhi via the Indian Air Force base in Hindon.

The former premier’s sudden fall from power and ongoing prosecution mark a dramatic chapter in Bangladesh’s volatile political landscape. Legal experts say the contempt sentence could be a prelude to more severe consequences as the crimes against humanity trial moves forward.