Staff Correspondent:

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 on Wednesday convicted and sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to six months in jail in a contempt of court case.

The first tribunal also convicted and sentenced banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader Shakil Akand Bulbul to two months’ imprisonment. The three-member ICT-1, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, pronounced the judgment.

The first tribunal in its judgment said the sentences would come into effect from the day of their arrest or surrender.

Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam, state defence counsel Amir Hossain and amicus curiae AY Moshiuzzaman took part in the hearing on Wednesday.

The ICT-1 on June 25 adjourned till today the hearing of the case. The tribunal had passed the order, allowing a time plea filed by amicus curiae senior advocate AY Moshiuzzaman.

Meanwhile, Advocate Aminul Gani Tipu, who was appointed as the state defence counsel to defend the case of Sheikh Hasina and Bulbul, on that day had withdrew his name from the post, citing conflict of interest as reason.

The first tribunal after that appointed Advocate Amir Hossain as the state defence counsel. The court on June 19 appointed senior jurist AY Moshiuzzaman amicus curiae in the case.

“As both accused remained absent in spite of publishing notice in newspapers for their appearance, the court appointed an amicus curiae for the sake of transparency of the trial,” prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim told newsmen on that day.

The prosecution filed the complaint against the two over the former premier’s telephonic conversation, where she was heard saying she has got license to kill 227 people already. The tribunal, accepting the complaint, asked the two to submit their explanations on May 15.

As they failed to submit their explanations, the tribunal asked them to appear on May 25. But as they refrained from appearing on that day too, it ordered to publish a notice on two national dailies, asking Sheikh Hasina and Shakil Akand Bulbul to appear before it on June 3.

The notices were published on May 26 in daily Jugantor and daily New Age, summoning the former premier and Bulbul to give explanations over a contempt of court application brought against them by the prosecution of the tribunal.