The International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to six months in prison in a contempt of court case.

A three-member tribunal headed by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder passed the order on Wednesday. The two members of the tribunal are Justice Md. Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Judge Md. Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury.

The tribunal sentenced Shakil Akand Bulbul alias Md. Shakil Alam, another accused in the case, of Gobindaganj, Gaibandha, to two months' imprisonment.

Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam confirmed this information to journalists.

The Awami League government fell on August 5 last year in a mass uprising by students and the public. This is the first time Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to prison in a corruption case since being ousted from power.

The prosecutor filed contempt of court charges against Sheikh Hasina and Shakil Akand Bulbul, citing an audio clip of her saying, "I have received a license to kill 226 people," which went viral online.

In the hearing on April 30, the two accused were asked to appear before the tribunal on May 25 and give an explanation. They did not appear on the scheduled date. Nor did they explain through their lawyers. On that day, the tribunal ordered the two accused to appear in person and give a notice in the newspaper to respond to the charges. The next day, this notice was published in two newspapers. In the notice, the two were asked to appear before the tribunal on June 3 and respond to the charges. They did not appear that day either. The tribunal set June 19 as the date for the full hearing.

On June 19, the tribunal appointed senior Supreme Court lawyer AY Moshiuzzaman as amicus curiae (legal assistant to the court) in the case. The next hearing of the case was scheduled for June 25.

On June 25, the tribunal gave a week's time to amicus curiae Moshiuzzaman to prepare for the case. On that day, the next hearing of the case was set for July 2. Today, the tribunal sentenced the two accused to prison.