A leaked audio recording of a conversation involving Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reveals that she personally authorised the use of lethal weapons during the student-led protests in July last year.
According to the recording, verified by BBC Eye, Sheikh Hasina gave her security forces permission to “use deadly weapons” against protestors and instructed them to “shoot wherever they (members of those forces) find them (the protestors)”.
The leaked audio, presumably between Sheikh Hasina and an unidentified senior government official, is considered the strongest piece of evidence to date that she gave direct orders to fire on anti-government demonstrators.
A source familiar with the incident told the BBC that the phone call took place between Sheikh Hasina and the official on 18 July from Gonobhaban, the Prime Minister’s official residence.
It remains unclear who leaked the audio, which surfaced online in early March this year. Since the protests, multiple alleged recordings of Sheikh Hasina’s phone calls have emerged on the internet, though many have not been independently verified.
Earshot specialists analysed the rhythm, pitch, and breathing sounds in the voice of the speaker, Sheikh Hasina, and found no signs of artificial modification.
Bangladesh Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has reportedly matched the voice in the 18 July leaked recording with Sheikh Hasina’s voice.
BBC has independently verified the authenticity of the recording with Earshot, a non-profit organisation that conducts audio investigations related to human rights and environmental issues. Earshot’s forensic experts found no evidence of editing or manipulation and concluded that the recording was almost certainly not artificially generated.
Earshot also noted that the audio appears to have been recorded in a room where the phone call was being played on a speaker, since there were distinct telephonic frequencies and background noise present in the recording.
The Earshot experts also identified Electric Network Frequency (ENF) traces throughout the recording, a forensic marker typically found in authentic audio captured via physical devices, further supporting that the clip has not been tampered.
Earshot specialists analysed the rhythm, pitch, and breathing sounds in the voice of the speaker, Sheikh Hasina, and found no signs of artificial modification. They also detected consistent background noise levels, adding to the recording’s credibility.
Toby Cadman, a British international human rights lawyer, told the BBC that the recordings are “highly significant” in establishing Sheikh Hasina’s role in the crackdown.
The recordings are clear, reliably verified, and corroborated by other evidence, he pointed out.
Cadman has been serving as a legal counsel at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh, where proceedings are ongoing against Sheikh Hasina and others.
A spokesperson for the Bangladesh Awami League stated that the party could not confirm the authenticity of the BBC-referenced audio tape. The spokesperson added that nothing in the recording appeared to show unlawful intent or any inconsistencies in response.
To date, the ICT has indicted 203 individuals, of whom 73 are currently in custody. Bangladesh’s courts are also investigating the actions of the police during the protests.