Leaked audio verified by the BBC reveals that former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina authorised the use of lethal force against student-led protests last year. In the recording, Hasina is heard instructing security forces to “shoot wherever they find protesters.”
The protests, initially sparked by opposition to civil service job quotas, escalated into a mass movement that led to Hasina’s ousting after 15 years in power. UN investigators estimate up to 1,400 people were killed in the unrest, marking the worst violence in Bangladesh since the 1971 war.
Hasina, now in India, is being tried in absentia at a special tribunal for crimes against humanity. Prosecutors plan to use the leaked 18 July phone call as key evidence. Independent forensic analysis by the BBC and experts confirmed the recording’s authenticity and ruled out manipulation.
Despite denials from Hasina’s Awami League party, legal experts say the recording clearly establishes her direct role in the violent crackdown, BBC reported.
