Bangladesh: Hasina authorised crackdown on protesters, report cites leaked audio of her phone call

A leaked phone call allegedly capturing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordering security forces to “use lethal weapons” on anti-government protesters is being used as key evidence in a war crimes tribunal, according to a BBC investigation.

The protests, which erupted over civil service job quotas in 2024, resulted in up to 1,400 deaths and led to Hasina’s ouster after 15 years in power.

Hasina, who fled to India last August, is now being tried in absentia by a special tribunal in Bangladesh for crimes against humanity. Her party, the Awami League, has rejected the charges and denied the authenticity of the leaked recording, which Hasina’s spokesperson said does not show any “unlawful intention” or “disproportionate response”.

Audio evidence tied to police violence

The leaked recording, which surfaced online in March, features Hasina speaking with an unidentified senior official from her official residence, the Ganabhaban, on 18 July 2024. The BBC said it verified the audio independently and through forensic analysis, confirming no evidence of editing or synthetic manipulation. The Bangladesh Police’s Criminal Investigation Department had previously voice-matched the audio to Hasina.

Military-grade weapons were reportedly deployed across Dhaka in the days following the call, as security forces responded to mounting outrage over video footage of police shootings circulating on social media. The crackdown intensified on 5 August, the day Hasina fled the country as protesters stormed her residence.

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The BBC’s investigation included interviews, analysis of government documents, and access to previously unreported details about the protests, including a higher death toll in the Dhaka massacre than was officially acknowledged.

Tapes to play key role in tribunal proceedings

The leaked conversation is one of several calls allegedly recorded by Bangladesh’s National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre. Human rights lawyer Toby Cadman, who is advising the International Criminal Tribunal of Bangladesh, said, “The recordings are critical for establishing her role, they are clear and have been properly authenticated, and are supported by other evidence.”

Prosecutors are expected to use the audio as a central piece of evidence in the tribunal proceedings against Hasina and other top officials.

The Awami League, which lost its governing coalition amid the unrest, continues to challenge the validity of the recordings. “We cannot confirm whether the tape recording referenced by the BBC is authentic,” a party spokesperson said.

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