DHAKA, July 3: Bangladesh’s ousted and self-exiled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to six months in prison by the country’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in a contempt of court case, a senior prosecutor confirmed on Wednesday.

The verdict marks the first sentencing against Hasina, who fled to India following violent student-led protests in August that led to the collapse of her government. Hasina has faced several legal cases since her departure, but until now had not been convicted in any of them.

Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam told reporters that Shakil Akand Bulbul, a prominent figure in the now-banned student wing of Hasina’s Awami League party, Chhatra League, was also sentenced to two months in prison in the same case.

The ruling was delivered in absentia by a three-member panel of the ICT, chaired by Justice Golam Mortuza Mozumder. The court stated that the sentences will come into effect once the individuals are either arrested or surrender to authorities.

The contempt charges relate to a leaked audio recording in which Hasina is allegedly heard saying, “There are 227 cases against me, so I now have a license to kill 227 people.” A government forensic investigation later confirmed the authenticity of the recording.

Ironically, the ICT was established in 2010 during Hasina’s own tenure to prosecute crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence.

The current interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has vowed to hold former officials accountable for human rights abuses and corruption, including the brutal suppression of last July’s nationwide protests that ultimately forced Hasina from power.

The tribunal has issued three arrest warrants for Hasina to date, including charges related to crimes against humanity stemming from the July violence. The Awami League, which Hasina led for decades, remains banned under the transitional regime, while legal proceedings against its members continue.

Hasina’s supporters claim the charges are politically motivated, aimed at sidelining the former premier. However, the interim administration argues that the prosecutions are a necessary step toward restoring justice and rebuilding public trust in Bangladesh’s democratic institutions.