On Wednesday (July 2), a Bangladeshi court sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to six months in prison for contempt of court. The verdict was delivered in her absence, as Hasina, 77, fled to India following a student-led uprising in August 2024 and has refused to return.

“She will serve the sentence when she returns to Bangladesh or surrenders to the court,” said Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam.

The case involved remarks Hasina allegedly made after being removed from office, which prosecutors say intimidated witnesses involved in ongoing legal proceedings.

Prosecutors argued her comments created “an aura of fear” among plaintiffs and witnesses. Shakil Akanda Bulbul, a fugitive leader of the now-banned Awami League, also received a two-month sentence in the same case.

According to the United Nations, around 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 during a crackdown on protests ordered by Hasina’s government in a failed effort to stay in power.

In a separate trial that began on June 1, Hasina is being tried in absentia for alleged crimes against humanity. Her court-appointed lawyer said she denies all charges.