DHAKA – Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced in absentia to six months in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of contempt of court, marking the first conviction against her since she was ousted from power last year.

The 77-year-old politician has been living in exile in India since fleeing the country in August 2024 following a massive student-led uprising that brought her government to an end. Despite repeated summons, Hasina has refused to return to face trial.

“She will begin serving her sentence the day she either sets foot in Bangladesh or appears before the court voluntarily,” said chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam following the verdict.

The case focused on comments Hasina allegedly made after her removal from office, which prosecutors argued posed a threat to witnesses involved in ongoing court proceedings.

“Her remarks, in our view, created an atmosphere of intimidation for both the complainants and witnesses,” said Islam.

Also sentenced in the same case was Shakil Akanda Bulbul, a fugitive and former senior member of Hasina’s now-banned Awami League party, who received a two-month prison term.

The court ruling comes amid a broader judicial effort to hold former officials accountable for a deadly government crackdown that occurred in the final months of Hasina’s rule. According to United Nations estimates, around 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 during violent attempts by the Hasina administration to suppress pro-democracy protests.

Hasina is also facing a separate and more serious trial that began on June 1. Prosecutors allege that she bore ultimate command responsibility for the crackdown, with charges that could amount to crimes against humanity under Bangladeshi law.

Hasina has denied all accusations through her court-appointed legal team, maintaining that the charges are politically motivated and lack merit.

Her sentencing underscores the deep political divisions and ongoing instability in Bangladesh following the dramatic collapse of her administration.