‘Use lethal weapons’: Leaked audio suggests Hasina gave ‘shoot’ orders; authorised crackdown

A leaked audio recording allegedly reveals former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordering a deadly crackdown on protesters in 2024, instructing security forces to use lethal weapons. The Awami League denies the allegations, attributing the violence to undisciplined security forces. Hasina, facing trial in absentia for crimes against humanity, left Bangladesh as protests intensified, resulting in an estimated 1,400 deaths.