sheikh Hasina Biography

Sheikh Hasina Wazed[1][2][3] (Bengali: ; English /ek hsin/, SHAYK h-SEE-n; born 28 September 1947)[4] is
the currentPrime Minister of Bangladesh, in office since January 2009. She previously served as Prime Minister from
1996 to 2001, and has led the Bangladesh Awami League since 1981.
Hasina is one of the most powerful women in the world, ranking 36th on Forbes' list of The World's 100 Most Powerful
Women in 2016.[5] Her political career has spanned more than four decades during which she has been both Prime
Minister and opposition leader. As opposition leader, she was the target of an assassination attempt in 2004. In 2007,
she was arrested for corruption and charged with murder by the military-backed Caretaker Government during
the 20062008 Bangladeshi political crisis, when the generals imposed a state of emergency. She returned as Prime
Minister after a landslide victory for the Awami League-led Grand Alliance in 2008, when they took two-thirds of the
seats in parliament. In January 2014 she became the prime minister for the third time after winning the 2014
parliamentary election, which was boycotted by the main opposition BNP-led alliance.
For the better part of the last two decades, Hasina's chief rival has been BNP leader Khaleda Zia. The two women
have alternated as non-interim Prime Ministers since 1991.

Early life[edit]
Sheikh Hasina was born in Tungipara, East Pakistan on 28 September 1947. She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, first president of Bangladesh, and Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib.[6] As she said in many interviews that she
had grown up in fear due to her father's political works. During the peak of violence of the 1970 Elections in Pakistan
as well as her father's arrest she had lived in refuge with her grandmother. Saying "I was not allowed to go to the
school. Because I had to cross the canal by a wooden bridge, she was very much afraid that if I fall from this wooden
bridge I will fall in the river". Hasina was not in Bangladesh when her father was assassinated on 15 August 1975.
She was not allowed to return to the country until after she was elected to lead the Awami League Party in February
1981 and arrived on 17 May 1981.[7][8]

Early political career[edit]

Movement against General Ershad's presidency[edit]
While living in self-exile in India after her father and family's assassination in 1975 (only she and a sister survived as
they were inWest Germany), Hasina was elected President of the Bangladesh Awami League in 1981.[9] The Awami
League has been described as a "left-of-center" party.[10] After she returned to Bangladesh, President Ziaur
Rahman was assassinated on 30 May 1981 in an attempted military coup. General Hossain Mohammad Ershad and
most of the army remained loyal to the government. The following year, Ershad captured power through a bloodless
coup and declared martial law, suppressing political party activity and suspending the constitution. The constitution
was later restored in 1986 after the general election won by General Ershad's Jatiya Party won, and martial law was
withdrawn.

Hasina was in and out of detention throughout the 1980s. In 1984, Hasina was put under house arrest in February
and again in November. In March 1985, she was put under house arrest for three months. Her party, along with
the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Ziaur Rahman's widow Khaleda Zia, continued to work to restore
democratically elected government, which they achieved by the democratic election in 1991, won by the BNP.

Leader of the opposition, 1986-87[edit]

Hasina and the Awami League participated in the 1986 parliamentary elections held under President Ershad. She
served as the leader of the opposition in 19861987.[6] Hasina's decision to take part in the election had been
criticised by her opponents, since the election was held under the martial law, and the other main opposition group,
led by Khaleda Zia, boycotted the poll. However, her supporters maintained that she used the platform effectively to
challenge Ershad's rule. Ershad dissolved the parliament in December 1987 when Hasina and her Awami League
resigned from the parliament in an attempt to call for a fresh general election to be held under a neutral government.
During November and December in 1987, mass uprising happened in Dhaka, several people were killed
including Noor Hossain, a Hasina supporter.

1991 election[edit]
After several years of autocratic rule, widespread protests and strikes created so much unrest that the economy was
not functioning. A huge mass protest in December 1990 ousted General Ershad from the power, who resigned in
favour of his Vice President Justice Shahabuddin. The caretaker government, headed by Shahabuddin Ahmed, the
Chief Justice of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, administered a general election for the parliament. The Bangladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Khaleda Zia won a general majority, and Hasina's Awami League emerged as the
largest opposition party.[11] Among 3 constituencies Hasina fought, she lost in two and won in one. Accepting election
defeat, Hasina offered resignation as the party president but stayed on at the request of party leaders.

The 19911996 period[edit]

Politics in Bangladesh took a decisive turn in 1994, after Magura by-elections. This election was held after the death
of the MP for that constituency, a member of Hasina's party. The Awami League expected to win back the seat. But
the BNP candidate won through rigging and manipulation, as per the neutral observer who came to witness the
election.[citation needed]

1996 elections[edit]
The Awami League, with other opposition parties, demanded that the next general elections be held under a neutral
caretaker government, and that provision for caretaker governments to manage elections be incorporated in the
constitution. The ruling BNP refused to act on these demands.
Opposition parties launched an unprecedented campaign, calling strikes for weeks on end. The government accused
them of destroying the economy while the opposition countered that BNP could solve this problem by acceding to
their demands. In late 1995, the MPs of the Awami League and other parties resigned from the parliament.
Parliament completed its term and a general election was held on 15 February 1996. The election was boycotted by
all major parties except the ruling BNP. Hasina described the election as a farce.
The new parliament, composed mostly of BNP members, amended the constitution to create provisions for a
caretaker government (CTG). The next parliamentary elections on 30 June 1996 were held under a neutral caretaker
government headed by retired chief Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman.