A BBC investigation has revealed audio recordings suggesting that former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered security forces to shoot protesters during last year’s mass demonstrations. The revelations come as Hasina, now in exile, faces trial in absentia for crimes against humanity.
In the leaked recording, a woman said to be Hasina is heard telling security officers to “use lethal weapons” against demonstrators. “Wherever they find them, they will shoot,” the voice commands.
The BBC Eye Investigations team, working with forensic audio experts, said the clip shows no signs of tampering. Analysts confirmed it was “highly unlikely” to be synthetic or artificially created. Police in Bangladesh have also matched the voice to verified recordings of the former leader.
Hasina, 77, fled to India in late August 2024, following weeks of unrest led by university students. The protests, which began on 1 July, started with calls for reforming the public sector job quota system but quickly escalated into a nationwide movement against her government.
What began as a student-led revolt soon swelled into one of the largest public uprisings in recent Bangladeshi history. According to United Nations estimates, up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August. Most were civilians.
The worst violence reportedly occurred between 16 and 20 July, when police used live ammunition to disperse crowds in Dhaka and other major cities. Human rights groups have called it one of the deadliest crackdowns in South Asia in recent years.
Hasina is being tried in absentia in Dhaka, with proceedings having begun on 1 June. The leaked audio now forms a key piece of evidence for the prosecution. The former prime minister has not responded publicly, and her state-appointed lawyers have asked for the charges to be dismissed.
They say they have had no direct contact with her since her departure.
The now-banned Awami League, which Hasina led for over a decade, issued a statement “categorically denying the charges” and insisting that she “never personally directed the use of lethal force.”
Instead, the party blamed “breakdowns in discipline among some members of the security forces” and “instances of violence” during the protests for the deaths.
Despite losing control of the country, Hasina has remained in India, where she is believed to be under informal protection. India has not commented publicly on her presence or the ongoing trial.
In a separate legal blow, Hasina was sentenced to six months in jail for contempt of court on 2 July, further complicating any possible return to Bangladesh.
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