Leaked recordings analyzed by the BBC suggest that Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina personally ordered a deadly crackdown on protesters in 2024, a move that has led to her trial on charges of crimes against humanity.
According to the United Nations, as many as 1,400 people were killed during a brutal two-month campaign between July and August last year, when security forces under Hasina’s government used lethal force to suppress a nationwide student-led uprising. The protests began on July 1, 2024, sparked by demands to reform the public sector job quota system.
Despite Hasina’s recent electoral win in an opposition-less vote, the movement gained unexpected momentum. On July 16, the situation escalated dramatically when police opened fire on demonstrators—triggering international condemnation.
Now in exile in India, the 77-year-old Hasina has refused to return to Dhaka, where her trial in absentia began on June 1. A central piece of evidence against her is a leaked audio recording, dated July 18, 2024, in which a voice alleged to be Hasina instructs security forces to “use lethal weapons” and “shoot” protesters on sight.
The BBC Eye Investigations team reviewed the tape with the help of audio forensics experts, who concluded the recording showed no signs of editing or synthetic manipulation. Bangladeshi police further verified that the voice matched known samples of Hasina’s.
Despite mounting evidence, Hasina’s state-appointed defense lawyer has attempted to dismiss the charges, though they acknowledge having had no direct contact with her.
Hasina’s now-outlawed Awami League party continues to deny the allegations, insisting she never authorized the use of force. The party blames rogue actions by some members of the security forces, claiming lapses in discipline were to blame for the loss of life.
The former prime minister was separately convicted of contempt of court on July 2 and sentenced to six months. She remains in India, where she fled at the height of the unrest.
As the trial continues, international attention remains focused on the explosive evidence and what it could mean for accountability and justice in Bangladesh’s troubled political landscape.