Sheikh Hasina

Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh

(Bengali: শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ; born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the tenth Prime Minister of Bangladesh from June 1996 to July 2001 and again from January 2009 until August 2024. She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father and first president of Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina
শেখ হাসিনা
Hasina in 2023
10th Prime Minister of Bangladesh
In office
6 January 2009 – 5 August 2024
President
Preceded byFakhruddin Ahmed (acting)
Succeeded byMuhammad Yunus (acting)
In office
23 June 1996 – 15 July 2001
President
Preceded byMuhammad Habibur Rahman (acting)
Succeeded byLatifur Rahman (acting)
8th Leader of the House
In office
6 January 2009 – 5 August 2024
Preceded byKhaleda Zia
In office
23 June 1996 – 15 July 2001
Preceded byKhaleda Zia
Succeeded byKhaleda Zia
8th President of Awami League
Assumed office
16 February 1981
General Secretary
Preceded byAbdul Malek Ukil
Member of Parliament
Assumed office
12 June 1996
Preceded byMujibur Rahman Howlader
ConstituencyGopalganj-3
In office
27 February 1991 – 15 February 1996
Preceded byKazi Firoz Rashid
Succeeded byMujibur Rahman Howlader
ConstituencyGopalganj-3
2nd Leader of the Opposition
In office
10 October 2001 – 29 October 2006
Prime MinisterKhaleda Zia
Preceded byKhaleda Zia
Succeeded byKhaleda Zia
In office
20 March 1991 – 30 March 1996
Prime MinisterKhaleda Zia
Preceded byAbdur Rab
Succeeded byKhaleda Zia
In office
7 May 1986 – 3 March 1988
PresidentHussain Muhammad Ershad
Preceded byAsaduzzaman Khan
Succeeded byAbdur Rab
Personal details
Born
Hasina Sheikh[1]

(1947-09-28) 28 September 1947 (age 77)
Tungipara, East Bengal, Dominion of Pakistan
Political partyBangladesh Awami League
Other political
affiliations
Grand Alliance (since 2008)
Spouse(s)
(m. 1968; died 2009)
Children
MotherSheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib
FatherSheikh Mujibur Rahman
RelativesSheikh–Wazed family
ResidenceGanabhaban, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka
Education
Signature

Hasina was the longest serving prime minister in the history of Bangladesh. At the time of her resignation, she was the world's longest-serving female head of government. She has been widely accused of being an authoritarian, a dictator even, oppressing the freedom of speech while committing serious human rights violence and holding onto the power through anti-democratic practices.[2]

Following widespread protests against her during the 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement and the Non-cooperation movement, on 5 August 2024, Hasina resigned as prime minister.[3][4] Later that day she left the country[5][6][7] to India.[8]

Controversy

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Matiur Rahman Rentu has written in his book "Amar Fashi Chai" that in 1987, Sheikh Hasina met the young Mrinal Kanti Das, the vice president of Munshiganj Harganga College Students Union. And after the introduction, Mrinal Kanti Das started living in house number thirty-two in Bangabandhu Bhaban. Sheikh Hasina lived in the same house. Mrinal Kanti Das and Sheikh Hasina used to talk and laugh till late at night by locking the door of the library room of Bangabandhu Bhaban from inside. Mrinal's acceptance towards Sheikh Hasina increased so much that everyone became jealous of him. Mrinal became the closest person to Sheikh Hasina! Her power increased so much that in 1990, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, the general secretary of the Central Committee of the Awami League, was humiliated and thrown out of Bangabandhu Bhaban. One day, four people including Mrinal were playing cards in Bangabandhu Bhaban. It was three and a half. At that time, Sheikh Hasina's only uncle Akram Mamu came and said, "Don't go to this Mrinal, he is sitting without eating for you!" To show his strength in front of his friends, Mrinal said "Hey, let me stay without eating for some time!" One day Mrinal got angry with Sheikh Hasina and left. Sheikh Hasina herself went and brought Mrinal Kanti Das to Bangabandhu Bhaban to break his anger. After Sheikh Hasina lost the election in 1991, Mrinal left Sheikh Hasina due to various grievances. Mrinal kept smiling and saying, his relationship with Sheikh Hasina is very deep![9]

References

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  1. Miah, M. A. Wazed (1997). বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিবকে ঘিরে কিছু ঘটনা ও বাংলাদেশ (in Bengali). The University Press Limited. p. 242.
  2. "Sheikh Hasina: Once Bangladesh's democracy icon, now its 'authoritarian' PM". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  3. Gupta, Anant (5 August 2024). "Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigns, army chief says". Washington Post.
  4. Alam, Julhas; Pathi, Krutika (5 August 2024). "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigns and leaves Bangladesh, ending 15-year rule". Associated Press. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  5. The Hindu (5 August 2024). "Sheikh Hasina resigns LIVE updates: Army to form interim government amid Bangladesh crisis". Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  6. Dhar, Aniruddha (5 August 2024). "Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigns, flees country as protestors storm palace". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  7. The Hindu (5 August 2024). "Bangladesh protests: Sheikh Hasina resigns as Bangladesh PM, leaves country with sister: reports". Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  8. Ethirajan, Anbarasan (5 August 2024). "How Bangladesh's protests ended Sheikh Hasina's 15-year reign". BBC News. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  9. Matiur Rahman Rentu, "Amar Fashi Chai", 26 March 1999, pp. 125-127

Other websites

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  Media related to Sheikh Hasina at Wikimedia Commons