A leaked phone recording suggesting that Sheikh Hasina authorized the use of lethal weapons against protesters during Bangladesh’s July 2024 Uprising remains central to the charges against her.
The Daily Star reported that on July 18, 2024, Hasina told her nephew, former Dhaka South mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, “I have given instructions; now they will use lethal weapons. Wherever they find them, they will shoot directly.”
Prosecutors cite the recording as key evidence in their bid for the death penalty. Hasina told AFP that the clip was “taken out of context” and that she never personally directed security forces to open fire. Rights groups have called for an independent forensic analysis of the recording, which fueled public anger after more than 1,400 people were killed during the unrest. The tribunal’s verdict is expected on November 13.