Sheikh Hasina

Sheikh Hasina, President of Bangladesh Awami League, assumed the office of the Prime Minister, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, on 7 January 2019 for the third consecutive time and the record fourth time after her party’s landslide victory in the 11th parliamentary elections held on 30 December 2018.

Sheikh Hasina is the eldest among the 5 children of the greatest Bangalee of all times, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib. She is born on 28 September 1947 at Tungipara in Gopalganj district.

Sheikh Hasina received her graduation from Dhaka University in 1973. She was elected vice president of the Students’ Union of the Government Intermediate Girls’ College as a candidate of Bangladesh Student League. She served as general secretary and then as president of the college unit of Bangladesh Student League.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of the members of his family was brutally assassinated on the fateful night of 15th August 1975. Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana were the only survivors as they were in the then West Germany at that time. Later, she went to the United Kingdom from where she started movement against the autocratic regime in 1980.

Sheikh Hasina was unanimously elected as president of Bangladesh Awami League in 1981 in her absence while she was in forced exile. She finally returned home on 17th May 1981 ending her 6 years in exile.

Sheikh Hasina faced the wrath of the rulers on her return as she launched movement to restore democracy in the country. She was detained time and again, and at least 19 attempts were made on her life so far.

Sheikh Hasina continued her struggle and remained undaunted to ensure people’s right to food, vote and other fundamental rights ignoring numerous obstacles, including threat on her life. Under her leadership, people of Bangladesh achieved democracy and freedom of speech. Bangladesh earned the dignity of a lower middle-income country in 2015 and graduated from LDC to a developing country in 2018.

Her husband, an internationally reputed nuclear scientist, Dr M Wazed Mia, died on 9th May 2009.

Sheikh Hasina’s only son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed is an ICT expert. Her only daughter Saima Hossain Wazed is a psychologist and has been working for the betterment of autistic children. She has 7 grandchildren.