Bangladesh’s longest-serving prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, is up for a historic legal reckoning. The International Crimes Tribunal, on July 2, 2025, convicted the 77-year-old politician to six months in jail for contempt, her first such conviction since she was removed from office in August 2024. Now exiled in India, Hasina’s record is being questioned as the country’s interim government investigates her 15-year tenure. The conviction, which relates to a leaked conversation, is a turning point for Bangladesh in its quest for justice.
Sheikh Hasina News
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on July 2, 2025, convicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of contempt of court and sentenced her to six months in jail, her first since she was removed from office in August 2024. The conviction was in absentia, based on a leaked phone call in which Hasina purportedly made comments found to be obstructions of judicial proceedings. Hasina, in exile in India, is under increasing legal pressure as Bangladesh’s interim government increases its scrutiny of her 15-year rule.
Sheikh Hasina Updated News
The contempt case is based on a 40-minute audiotape, which was forensically authenticated, where Hasina allegedly uttered, “There are 227 cases against me, so I now have a licence to kill 227 people.” The ICT, presided over by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, declared the comments had threatened the integrity of the judiciary. Shakil Akand Bulbul, leader of the outlawed Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), was sentenced together with Hasina to a two-month term in the same case. The punishments will become effective if they are arrested or surrender.
Sheikh Hasina Contempt Sentence
The six-month prison sentence is the first punishment imposed on Hasina after she left Bangladesh following a student uprising last August. The ICT, initially set up by Hasina’s regime in 2010 for trying war crimes committed during the 1971 war, has been redirected by the interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus for investigating alleged rights violations and corruption committed during her tenure. Contempt proceedings were brought in April 2025, pointing to Hasina’s alleged interference with the current trial of war crimes in connection with the 2024 protests.
Sheikh Hasina Party
Hasina, 77 years old, led the Awami League, one of the two dominant political parties in Bangladesh, prior to its ban following her ouster. The party, which dominated the nation’s politics during her tenure, has described the trial as a political manoeuvre and argued that public statements by interim government officials have compromised the judicial process. The student organisation of Awami League, the BCL, also did not escape, with individuals like Shakil Akand Bulbul being involved in court cases along with Hasina.
Sheikh Hasina Education
Sheikh Hasina was born on September 28, 1947. Sheikh Hasina studied at Dhaka University, graduating in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree. Her education, combined with her political lineage as the daughter of the first president of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, helped propel her to national leadership. Her critics, however, accuse her of leadership being characterised by a tendency towards concentrating power instead of maintaining democratic principles.
Sheikh Hasina’s Age
At 77 years old, Hasina remains a divisive figure. Her age has not diminished her influence, though her exile and legal travails have changed her role from that of a dominant leader to that of an outlaw with many charges pending against her, including crimes against humanity for her alleged participation in the fatal 2024 crackdowns on demonstrations.
Sheikh Hasina’s Family
Hasina’s personal history is inextricably tied to Bangladesh. Her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was killed in 1975, and it had a profound effect on her political existence. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed, and daughter, Saima Wazed, have also been active in public life, and Saima has served as a regional director at the WHO. The family’s political dynasty is one of the issues in Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina Net Worth
Although numbers are unknown, Hasina’s net worth is estimated to be substantial, due to her prolonged political lifespan and alleged control over state assets. Her regime’s corruption cases are under investigation, with the caretaker government targeting her relatives’ property.
Sheikh Hasina Assassination
There are no reports of any attempts on her life since her exile, though there still looms over her family tragedy in 1975. The recent judicial battles, including charges of mass murder and incitement, reflect the intensity of political enmity she incites, and individuals doubt her safety in India.
This historic verdict represents Bangladesh’s transition towards accountability, but her supporters assert it’s a vendetta against her herself.
FAQs
What did Sheikh Hasina do?
Sheikh Hasina stepped down and went into exile in India after the July Revolution of 2024.
What religion is Sheikh Hasina?
Sheikh Hasina comes from a Bengali Muslim Sheikh family of Tungipara in East Bengal.
Is Sheikh Hasina married?
Yes, Sheikh Hasina was married to M. A. Wazed Miah. He was a Bengali nuclear scientist. They got married in 1967. He died in 2009.
Who was Bangladesh’s first female PM?
Begum Khaleda Zia served as the first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2006.
