Sheikh Hasina

Sheikh Hasina
Name	Sheikh Hasina
Caption	Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Office	Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Term start	6 January 2009
Predecessor1	Fakhruddin Ahmed (Caretaker)
President1	Iajuddin Ahmed, Zillur Rahman, Abdul Hamid, Mohammad Shahabuddin
Term start1	23 June 1996
Term end1	15 July 2001
Predecessor2	Muhammad Habibur Rahman (Caretaker)
President2	Shahabuddin Ahmed, Badruddoza Chowdhury, Iajuddin Ahmed
Office3	Leader of the House
Term start3	6 January 2009
Predecessor3	Khaleda Zia
Office4	Leader of the Opposition
Term start4	28 October 2001
Term end4	29 October 2006
Predecessor4	Khaleda Zia
Successor4	Khaleda Zia
Term start5	20 March 1991
Term end5	30 March 1996
Predecessor5	A. S. M. Abdur Rab
Successor5	Khaleda Zia
Office6	President of the Awami League
Term start6	16 February 1981
Predecessor6	Abdul Malek Ukil
Party	Bangladesh Awami League
Spouse	M. A. Wazed Miah (m. 1968; died 2009)
Children	Sajeeb Wazed, Saima Wazed
Alma mater	University of Dhaka
Religion	Islam

Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh since January 2009, having previously held the office from 1996 to 2001. She is the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Bangladesh and the current president of the Bangladesh Awami League, a position she has held since 1981. The daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh, her political career has been defined by efforts to realize her father's vision of a secular, democratic state while navigating periods of exile, assassination attempts, and intense rivalry with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Early life and education

Born on 28 September 1947 in Tungipara, East Bengal, then part of the Dominion of Pakistan, she was the eldest child of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib. Her early education was at Tungipara Government Primary School and later at Azimpur Girls' High School in Dhaka. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Bengali literature from the University of Dhaka in 1973. Her formative years were deeply influenced by the political movements led by her father, including the Six point movement and the Bangladesh Liberation War, during which she was detained by Pakistani forces along with her family.

Political career

Her formal political entry began in the aftermath of the assassination of her father and most of her family in August 1975, while she was abroad in West Germany. She went into exile, first in India and then the United Kingdom, before returning to Bangladesh in 1981 to take leadership of the Bangladesh Awami League. For years, she led the opposition against the military regimes of Hussain Muhammad Ershad and later the governments of Khaleda Zia. Her political struggle included periods of house arrest and surviving a brutal grenade attack in 2004 that killed many Awami League leaders.

Premiership

Her first term as prime minister began after the June 1996 election, notable for the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in 1997. After a five-year term, she lost to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by Khaleda Zia in 2001. She returned to power following a landslide victory in the 2008 Bangladeshi general election and has since been re-elected in the 2014, 2018, and 2024 polls, though the latter elections were boycotted by major opposition parties and criticized by international observers.

Domestic policies

Her administrations have focused on significant infrastructure development, including the Padma Bridge and the Dhaka Metro Rail. Key economic initiatives include expanding the garment industry and digital services through projects like Digital Bangladesh. Her government has overseen the war crimes trials for atrocities committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Critics, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have raised concerns about democratic backsliding, human rights abuses, and suppression of dissent through laws like the Digital Security Act.

Foreign policy

She has pursued a balanced foreign policy, maintaining strong ties with traditional allies like India and Russia while deepening economic and defense cooperation with China. Her government has actively engaged with multilateral organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund. A major diplomatic effort involved successfully pursuing a settlement with India on the longstanding enclave issue. She has also sought to strengthen relations with Japan and the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Personal life

She married M. A. Wazed Miah, a noted Bangladeshi nuclear scientist, in 1968. Their son, Sajeeb Wazed, is an IT consultant, and their daughter, Saima Wazed, is a psychologist and advocate for autism awareness who now serves as Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia. She is a devout follower of Islam and has authored several books. She survived an assassination attempt in 2004 and has faced other security threats throughout her career.

Legacy and recognition

She is recognized as a central figure in modern Bangladesh, credited with driving economic growth, reducing poverty, and advancing women's leadership. Her tenure has seen Bangladesh achieve lower-middle-income status from the World Bank and remarkable progress in areas like public health and primary education. However, her legacy is contested, with critics pointing to allegations of authoritarian governance, corruption, and the consolidation of power. She has received numerous international awards, including the UNESCO Peace Tree and the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize.

Category:Prime Ministers of Bangladesh Category:Bangladesh Awami League politicians Category:1947 births Category:Living people