Sheikh Hasina Ordered Lethal Force Against Protesters, Al Jazeera Investigation Reveals

Dhaka, July 25, 2025 – An investigation by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit) has uncovered secret phone recordings revealing that former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directly ordered the use of lethal force against student protesters opposing her government’s policies in 2024. In one recording, Hasina is heard saying, “I have given direct orders. Now they will use lethal weapons, shoot wherever they find them.”

Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for 15 years, fled to India on August 5, 2024, following a violent uprising and crackdown by security forces. According to the International Crimes Tribunal, approximately 1,400 people were killed and over 20,000 injured during the protests.

The I-Unit analyzed the phone recordings using AI and audio forensic experts to verify authenticity and identify speakers through voice matching. In a call recorded on July 18, 2024, by the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), Hasina told an associate that she had instructed security forces to use lethal weapons. She said, “My orders have already been given. I have given direct orders. Now they will use lethal weapons, shoot wherever they find them. I had been holding them back… I was thinking about the students’ safety.” In another call with Fazle Noor Taposh, former mayor of Dhaka South City and a relative, Hasina discussed using helicopters to suppress protests. She stated, “Wherever you see a gathering, from above… it’s already started in some places. Some (protesters) have dispersed.”

While security forces denied firing from helicopters, Dr. Shabir Sharif, an emergency department doctor at Dhaka’s Popular Medical College Hospital, told the I-Unit that shots were fired from a helicopter targeting the hospital’s entrance. He noted that doctors treated protesters with unusual bullet wounds.

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