Sheikh Hasina’s journey: Longest-serving PM to exile and a death sentence

Hasina’s turbulent political legacy

Sheikh Hasina, ex-Prime Minister of Bangladesh and now sentenced to death for crimes against humanity, led the country for two separate periods across five terms. Born in 1947 in India, she is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s first president and independence leader.

In 1975, most of her family was killed in a military coup in what became known as the “midnight murders.” Hasina, her husband MA Wazed Miah, and her sister Sheikh Rehana survived because they were abroad in Germany.

Rise of the Awami League

Hasina entered politics after her father’s assassination and took over the leadership of the Awami League. She quickly became a key figure in the 1990 pro-democracy movement that toppled General Hussain Muhammad Ershad’s military regime.

Partnering briefly with Khaleda Zia, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the two women initially united against dictatorship but soon became fierce political rivals. In the 1991 elections, Hasina lost to Zia and assumed the role of Leader of the Opposition.

First Term and early achievements

Hasina first became Prime Minister in 1996 after her Awami League party won the general election. Her government brokered major agreements, including the Ganges Water Treaty with India and the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, while launching infrastructure megaprojects.

Despite these achievements, political unrest and allegations of corruption marked her first term. She lost the 2001 election and faced attacks, including a grenade attack in 2004, returning to opposition amid repeated boycotts and instability.

Economic transformation and second premiership

Returning to power in 2009 with a landslide victory, Hasina spearheaded rapid economic growth. Between 2009 and 2023, Bangladesh’s GDP grew by an average of 6% annually, and poverty levels fell.

She was widely praised for her humanitarian response to the 2017 Rohingya refugee crisis, sheltering over a million fleeing Myanmar. Under her leadership, Bangladesh achieved significant infrastructure development, digitalisation, and social reform.

Controversy, elections, and authoritarian criticism

Her third and fourth terms, from 2014 to 2024, were marred by electoral boycotts and allegations of authoritarianism. The Awami League secured overwhelming victories, including one term with 96% of votes, prompting criticism over human rights violations and centralisation of power.

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the country’s economic challenges, with lockdowns driving up living costs. Sanctions were imposed by the US on the Rapid Action Battalion and seven officials for extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. Yet, Bangladesh recorded 7.2% GDP growth by 2023, driven largely by garment exports and remittances, though inequality remained high.

Student protests and downfall

In 2024, mass student protests erupted over civil service quotas and growing dissatisfaction with government policies. The unrest, which resulted in hundreds of deaths, forced Hasina to resign and flee to India, ending her 15-year consecutive premiership.

Her son commented, “The people will get what they deserve. My mother is very disheartened with the people of Bangladesh. She will now come and stay with me and with my sister and play with her grandchildren.”

Personal life and global recognition

An avid reader and fishing enthusiast, Hasina is the mother of two children: Saima Wazed, the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia regional director, and Sajeeb Wazed, a prominent figure in Bangladeshi politics.

During her tenure, Hasina earned international acclaim for climate leadership, disaster management, and inclusive development, while also facing criticism for cracking down on dissent and consolidating power.

A legacy in question

Now facing exile and a death sentence, Sheikh Hasina’s once-unassailable rule has ended in unprecedented controversy. The daughter of Bangladesh’s founding father remains a figure of both monumental achievement and deep political division, her legacy entwined with the nation’s turbulent history.