The BBC has verified a leaked telephone conversation in which former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina explicitly instructed security forces to use live ammunition against student demonstrators during last year’s mass protests. A recording dated 18 July 2024 indicates Hasina telling her security personnel to shoot anyone in sight.
“I have directed them all to be arrested tonight. All of them have been made aware, wherever you see them, apprehend them. I have given an open command. Now, they will employ deadly force. Wherever they spot [them], they will shoot,” she states in the audio.
The call, placed from her official residence in Dhaka, came during the pivotal phase of the nationwide unrest that started as demonstrations against civil service job quotas. The protests quickly morphed into a massive anti-government movement, which eventually sent Sheikh Hasina into exile.
Crackdown Kills Over 1,400 Protesters
According to UN investigators, the crackdown on protesters resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 people, making it the deadliest political violence in Bangladesh since the 1971 Liberation War. Social media platforms at the time circulated graphic videos of police killings, further fuelling public anger.
One of the most lethal massacres took place on 5 August in Dhaka’s Jatrabari neighborhood when police fired on unarmed civilians following the withdrawal of army troops from the region. Freshly revealed evidence has confirmed that security forces massacred at least 52 individuals in that single event, far more than previously reported.
Prosecutors Prepare Key Evidence in War Crimes Trial
Bangladesh prosecutors intend to present the leaked call as a prime piece of evidence in Hasina’s in absentia trial for crimes against humanity, including incitement, conspiracy, and ordering mass murders.
Experts view the phone call as the best evidence so far to indicate that Hasina gave the order herself to use deadly force against civilians, most of whom are students.
Sheikh Hasina escaped to India just as her government fell. While Bangladesh has formally asked for her extradition, India has refused, and analysts say it’s not likely she’ll ever come back to stand trial.
New Leadership and War Crimes Charges
Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus currently heads the interim government and is preparing Bangladesh for national elections.
The International Criminal Tribunal (ICT) has indicted 203 people, including former police and government officials, along with Hasina. There are 73 currently in custody, charged with carrying out the fatal crackdown.
