Sheikh Hasina ordered 'lethal' crackdown on Bangladesh student protesters: Report verifies leaked audio
Synopsis
This evidence will be used against her at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), where she was already sentenced to six months for contempt of court. Hasina is believed to be staying in India, where she fled to after the protests.
Dhaka: A new report has revealed that former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave orders for the deadly crackdown on student protests last year. 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.
According to the BBC, an audio clip where Sheikh Hasina can be heard asking security forces to “use lethal weapons” and "wherever they find [protesters], they will shoot" will be used as a crucial piece of evidence at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for crimes against humanity. Hasina was sentenced to six months in prison by ICT in July for contempt of court after she skipped the hearing. This was the first conviction against her since she was removed from power.
How BBC verified the audio cliip
The BBC cited police documents to reveal that Hasina was at her residence in Dhaka on July 18 when she made the call to the government official. Soon after the call, the security forces used military-grade weapons, the report added. The voice in the leaked audio voice was reportedly matched with another audio with Sheikh Hasina's voice, proving the veracity of the tape. BBC said they also verified the audio tapes independently by giving it to audio forensics experts Earshot.
According to Earshot, the leaked audio was likely recorded in a room with the phone call on a loudspeaker, adding that the audio has not been manipulated. Toby Cadman, leading the case against Sheikh Hasina said that the recordings are properly authenticated and establishes her role in the violence. Earlier, Hasina had denied responsibility for the deaths in her first statement. A representative from the Awami League party said that the tape did not show any "unlawful intention" of "disproportionate response".
The protests initially erupted over civil service job quotas favoring relatives of those who fought in the 1971 war of independence. This escalated into a nationwide movement, which resulted in the worst unrest Bangladesh had seen since the 1971 war. According to reports, around 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15, 2024, even after the fall of Hasina's government. Hasina fled the country on August 5. 2024.
Tribunal was originally set up by Hasina
Ironically, the ICT that has now sentenced Hasina was created by her own Awami League 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.