Sheikh Hasina authorizes deadly repression in Bangladesh, leaks

According to a phone number verified by the BBC Eye, then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina authorized then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to launch a deadly crackdown on the protests in Bangladesh.

Hasina said in an audio leaked online in March that she authorized her security forces to “use deadly weapons” against protesters and “whether they find (them), they will shoot.”

Bangladesh’s prosecutors plan to use the recording as key evidence against Hasina, who was tried for crimes against humanity in a special court.

As many as 1,400 people died in the turmoil last summer, UN investigators say. Hasina, who fled to India, refused all charges against her.

A spokesman for her Awami Coalition Party denied that the videotape showed any “illegal intention” of “disproportionate reaction”.

The audio leaked from Hasina’s conversation with a senior government official is by far the most important evidence that she directly authorized the shooting of anti-government protesters, with thousands of protesters coming to the streets last summer.

The protests began targeting civil servant positions quotas for relatives of those who fought in the 1971 War of Independence and upgraded to a massive campaign that expelled Hasina, who had been in power for 15 years. This is the worst violence in Bangladesh since the 1971 war.

Some of the bloodiest scenes took place on August 5, when Hasina fled the helicopter and the crowds attacked her residence in Dhaka.

The BBC World Services Survey has established previously unreported details about the police massacre of protesters in the capital – including higher death toll.

Hasina was called Ganabhaban during a call held on July 18 at her residence in Dhaka.

This is a critical moment in the demonstrations. Security officials responded to the anger of police killed by protesters who were arrested in the video and shared on social media. Military-grade rifles were deployed and used in the days after the call, according to BBC police documents.

The recording of the BBC inspection is one of many calls involving Sheikh Hasina, a Bangladeshi government agency responsible for monitoring communications, conducted by the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (NTMC).

Audio of the phone leaked in early March this year – it’s unclear who it is. Hasina’s phone clips have appeared online since the protests, many of which are unverified.

The recording leaked on July 18 was matched by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Bangladesh Police Department with Sheikh Hasina’s voice.

The BBC conducted its own independent verification by sharing the recording with audio forensic expert Earshot, who did not find that the speech had been edited or manipulated and said it was unlikely to be generated through synthesis.

The leaked recording is likely to be a room with a phone call back in a room due to the unique phone frequency and background sound. Throughout the recording, Earshot determined the electrical network frequency (ENF), which is usually present in audio recording due to interference between the recording device and the power supply power device, indicating that the audio has not been manipulated yet.

Earshot also analyzed Sheikh Hasina’s speech – rhythm, tone and breathing sound – and determined consistent noise levels, finding no evidence of synthetic artifacts in the audio.

Toby Cadman, an international human rights lawyer in the UK, told the BBC that recordings are essential to identifying their roles, they are clear and well-certified and supported by other evidence. ”He is advising Bangladesh’s International Criminal Tribunal (ICT) to court hearings against Hasina and others.

A spokesman for Awami League said: “We cannot confirm whether the recordings cited by the BBC are true.”

Along with Sheikh Hasina, former government and police officials were also involved in the killing of protesters. A total of 203 people were prosecuted in ICT, of which 73 were detained.

BBC Eye analyzed and verified hundreds of videos, images and files, detailing police attacks targeting protesters in 36 days.

The investigation found that at least 52 people were killed by police in an incident in Jatrabari near busy Dhaka on August 5, making it one of the worst police violence in Bangladesh history. The preliminary report at the time recommended that 30 people died in Jatrabari that day.

The BBC investigation has uncovered new details about how the Holocaust began and ended.

BBC Eye collected footage, CCTV and drone images from witnesses, and determined that police immediately caught fire on protesters after Army personnel separating them from protesters and evacuated the area.

For over 30 minutes, police tried to escape alleys and highways, firing shots at fleeing protesters before seeking asylum at a nearby Army camp. Hours later protesters retaliated against protesters, at least six police officers were killed and caught fire on the Jatrabari police station.

A spokesman for the Bangladesh police told the BBC that 60 police officers were arrested for their role in violence in July and August last year.

“There was a regrettable incident when certain members of the police force used excessive force,” the spokesperson said. “The Bangladesh police conducted a thorough and impartial investigation.”

Sheikh Hasina’s trial began last month. She was charged with crimes against humanity, including issuing orders that result in mass killings and violence against civilians, as well as orders that incite, conspiracy and failure to prevent mass murder.

So far, India has failed to comply with Bangladesh’s extradition request. Kadman said Hasina is unlikely to return to the country for trial.

The Awami coalition insists that its leaders are not responsible for the forces targeting protesters.

A spokesman for the party said: “The Awami League explicitly denied and refused to say that some of the senior leaders, including the Prime Minister himself, were personally responsible or directed to use of deadly force against the crowd.”

“The decisions made by senior government officials are essentially proportional, honestly made, aimed at minimizing the loss of life.”

The party rejected the findings of UN investigators, who said they found reasonable reasons to believe that the actions of Hasina and her government could constitute crimes against humanity.

The BBC contacted the Bangladesh Army but received no response.

Bangladesh has been ruled by Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus since Hasina fell.

His administration is preparing for national elections. It is not clear whether the AWAMI alliance will be allowed to vote.