On Wednesday (July 2, 2025), a three-member tribunal led by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to six months in prison for contempt of court.
Prior to the verdict, the tribunal appointed A.Y. Mashihuzzaman as *amicus curiae* (friend of the court) to assist in the full hearing of the contempt case. The tribunal had also set July 2 as the date for the next hearing.
According to the law, there is no provision for appointing a government-funded lawyer in such cases. However, in the interest of justice, the tribunal appointed a lawyer to represent Sheikh Hasina.
After the appointment of the *amicus curiae*, Prosecutor Gazi M.H. Tamim told journalists that the tribunal had appointed an *amicus curiae* for the contempt of court case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chhatra League leader Shakil Alam Bulbul.
The contempt charges stemmed from statements made in the context of cases related to the July mass uprising. On April 30, the Chief Prosecutor filed contempt charges against Sheikh Hasina and Shakil Alam Bulbul. On the same day, the tribunal accepted the charges and ordered them to respond by May 15. However, as no response was received within the stipulated time, the tribunal directed the accused to appear in court on May 25.
The charges were based on an audio recording in which Sheikh Hasina was heard saying, “There are 227 cases against me, so I have a license to kill 227 people.” After the audio went viral, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police confirmed its authenticity through forensic analysis. Subsequently, the contempt of court charges were filed with the tribunal.
The prosecution stated that despite publishing a notice in newspapers, Sheikh Hasina neither appeared before the tribunal nor provided any explanation through a lawyer. As a result, the tribunal was empowered to take punitive action in accordance with the law.
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