Bangladesh Sentences Ex-PM Hasina to Six Months in Absentia for Contempt
DHAKA – A Bangladeshi court on Wednesday sentenced fugitive former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to six months in prison for contempt of court, convicting her in absentia nearly a year after she was ousted in a student-led uprising.
Hasina, 77, fled to India following the August 2024 protests and has ignored repeated orders to return. Chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam stated the sentence will take effect if Hasina re-enters Bangladesh or surrenders.
The case revolved around remarks Hasina allegedly made post-ouster, which prosecutors argued intimidated witnesses involved in legal proceedings against her. Islam said her statements created a climate of fear among plaintiffs and witnesses.
This is the first court ruling against Hasina since her removal, intensifying the legal and political uncertainty surrounding the ex-prime minister’s future.
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