Leaked audio verified by BBC forensics captures former PM Sheikh Hasina authorizing lethal force against 2024 student protesters, ordering security forces to shoot demonstrators ‘wherever they find them’. The recording from July 18, 2024 was leaked in March and voice-matched to Hasina by Bangladesh police. Prosecutors are using this evidence in her crimes against humanity trial for a crackdown that killed up to 1,400 people. The audio confirms her direct involvement during protests that ousted her government. Hasina, now in exile, denies charges through her party.