Sheikh Hasina
‘Pakistanis started killing intellectuals from Dec 10, 1971; now BNP wants to occupy Dhaka on Dec 10’
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said BNP does not want an election, rather it wants someone to take over after ousting the government — who would finally put the party in power.
“They don’t want elections. They rather want something to come to power, ousting the government, which would install them in office — bringing them with ‘nagardola’ or ‘palki’. That is their expectation,” she said.
The premier was addressing a huge public rally, arranged by Chattogram City Unit of Awami League at the Polo Ground in the port city.
Sheikh Hasina, in her speech delivered from a 160ft boat-shaped stage, said BNP has two skills: vote-rigging and killing people. “They know if election is held, people would not vote for killers,” she said.
Read more: PM inaugurates, lays foundation stones of 35 projects in Chattogram
“They (BNP) don’t care about the people. If Awami League comes to power, we work for the people,” she added.
Referring to the arson attacks unleashed in 2013-2015 by BNP, the PM said one day Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman will have to answer to the people as to why they burnt and killed so many. “People will take account of it one day,” she said.
‘December 10 a favourite date for BNP’
Sheikh Hasina, also AL president, criticised BNP for choosing December 10 as the date for their final divisional rally.
‘If you withdraw money from banks and keep it at home, thieves will be encouraged’
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday (November 24, 2022) categorically denounced “rumours that banks are facing acute liquidity crisis”.
“It’s a blatant lie that there is no money in the banks,” she said while addressing a massive public rally at the district stadium in Jashore, organised by local Awami League.
Sheikh Hasina said that on Wednesday (November 23, 2022) she had a meeting with Bangladesh Bank governor and other concerned officials.
“There is enough money in the banks,” she assured.
Read more: PM’s Japan visit will happen soon, Shahriar Alam says
She said that some people are talking about forex reserves. “There is no problem with forex reserves,” she added.
She also said that some people are spreading a lie that there is no money in the banks, and paying heed to that rumour, some are withdrawing money from banks.
“If you withdraw money from banks and keep it at home, thieves will be encouraged to steal the money. It is just creating an opportunity for the thieves,” she said.
She said that remittances are coming in, foreign investments are happening, export income has gone up, and tax collection has been increased as well.
Read more: PM reaches Jashore, speaks at President Parade in BAF Academy
“While other countries are facing serious debacles due to global recession, Bangladesh is still going strong,” she said.
She urged people not to pay heed to any rumour. “It is BNP’s job to spread rumours all the time, you know that,” she added.
The prime minister said that BNP had never done anything for the welfare of the country and its people. “They have always engaged in looting when they were in power,” she said.
She mentioned that during its 2001-06 tenure, BNP left foreign currency reserves at USD 2.5 billion only. When AL formed the government in 2009, forex reserves were USD 5 billion after the caretaker government’s regime.
Read More: No liquidity crisis in banks: ABB
During the coronavirus pandemic there was no export and import, as a result forex reserves accumulated to USD 48 billion, she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also the AL president, said to procuring Covid-19 vaccines, fertiliser, rice and wheat for the people, the government has spent money.
“It (forex reserve) did not go anywhere, it was spent for the welfare of the people,” she said.
“We have invested in various works, giving stimulus for export, agriculture and giving deficit money which accumulated up to USD 8 billion,” she said.
Read More: No forex crisis from Jan 2023, Bangladesh Bank Gov says
AL general secretary Obaidul Quader, AL MP elected from Khulna Sheikh Helal, AL presidium members Md. Abdur Razzak, Piyush Kanti Bhattacharya and Jahangir Kabir Nanak also spoke at the rally.
Jashore District AL president Shahidul Islam Milon presided over the rally. District Awami League General Secretary Shahin Chaklader conducted the Jashore rally.
Sajeeb Wazed testifies before Dhaka court in case over ‘plotting to abduct, kill’ him
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son and her ICT adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy appeared and testified before the court on Sunday, in connection with a case filed over plotting to “abduct and kill” him.
Mohammad Asaduzzaman Nur, Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, recorded his statement.
Sajeeb Wazed is the 10th witness in the case.
On March 3, 2015, a case was filed with Paltan Police Station in connection with attempting to abduct and kill Sajeeb Wazed.
Five people were accused in the case. They are – Jaijaidin founding editor Shafik Rehman, the daily Amar Desh acting Editor Mahmudur Rahman, vice-president of BNP's cultural wing Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas) Mohammad Ullah Mamun, his son Rizvi Ahmed Caesar and Bangladeshi trader living in the United States Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan.
Read more: Joy now a voice of youth in Bangladesh's policy reform circles: CRI
All of them remained fugitive.
On February 22, 2018, police submitted the charge-sheet against five people, including Shafik Rehman and Mahmudur Rahman, before the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court.
On March 6, 2018, a court issued a warrant for the arrest of four people, including journalist Shafik Rehman, in the case.
On the incident, Sajeeb Wazed on March 8, 2015 wrote on his verified Facebook page: “On Wednesday, March 4th I provided a victim statement in court before the sentencing of Rizve Ahmed Caesar, son of Mohammad Ullah Mamun, Vice-President of BNP’s cultural wing JaSaS.
“Caesar was promised US $40,000 per month and given the first payment of US $30,000 in cash directly from very senior BNP leaders in Bangladesh. I cannot disclose their names because the investigation is ongoing. The BNP had planned to kidnap me and kill me here in the US.
Read more: Sheikh Russel’s murder a stain on Bangladesh’s conscience: Sajeeb Wazed
“Again, these are not the actions of a political party. These are the actions of terrorists. This is what you expect from a group that burns innocent women and children alive.”
“Notice, however that the newspapers and our ‘civil society’ who never fail to speak against the Awami League are absolutely silent on this. The BNP can kill and kidnap, yet they will never blame the BNP directly…” he wrote.
“When someone tries to kill me I take it very personally. I intend to pursue those responsible, no matter how high up they may be in the BNP. I will bring them to justice,” the post read.
AL has no problem with non-violent BNP protests: PM Hasina tells MPs
The ruling Awami League has no problem with BNP’s on going anti-government programmes, unless it turns violent.
“They (BNP) are holding processions, rallies and meetings in different parts of the country, we do not have any objection to that. But if they do any violent activities in the name of movement it will be tackled with iron hands,” Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque told reporters quoting the AL president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He held the briefimg emerging from Awami League Parliamentary Party (ALPP) meeting held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban with its president and leader of the House in the chair on Wednesday night.
Read more: PM to address the media on UK, US visit Thursday
He also said that the party will take punitive measurers against those who worked against the party nominated candidates in the local government elections.
Deputy Minister for Education Ministry Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury said the prime minister asked the party's MPs to publicise the government development activities and successes made in the last 13 years.
“She also told us to counter the anti government propaganda instantly,” he said
Sheikh Hasina must come back to save Bangladesh, says Obaidul Quader
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday said that Sheikh Hasina must return to power to save Bangladesh.
“If Sheikh Hasina loses, Bangladesh will lose,” Quader told a discussion meeting organised by Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) on the premises of the central Shaheed Minar. “We cannot be defeated by the anti-liberation forces.”
The event was held to commemorate the 50th founding anniversary of the party led by Hasanul Huq Inu.
Quader called for a greater unity under the leadership of Hasina, saying that an evil force like BNP must be defeated by forging unity of the pro-liberation forces.
Also read: Fakhrul slams Quader for making personal attack, accuses AL of plundering public money
He came down heavily on BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for his comment that the crowd in a recent council of the Dhaka district Awami League was thin.
“(I think) Mirza Fakhrul counted the chairs at the Dhaka district Awami League council by using binoculars from Rangpur. There were 70,000 chairs, not 22,000. I challenged,” Quader said in reference to the statement by Fakhrul who spoke at an anti-government rally in Rangpur on the same day of the AL council in Dhaka.
“I want to tell Mirza Fakhrul, we are united under the 14-party alliance. To save Bangladesh, Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina must be in power," he said.
He said that BNP did not protest for even 13 minutes over last 13 years.
“Now, Fakhrul wants to protest (against us). We know where the root of this (anti-government) movement is,” he said.
Also read: ‘BNP will swallow the entire country if it returns to power’ ‘BNP will swallow the entire country if it returns to power’
Quader said that BNP’s dream of toppling down the government on December 10 and returning to power would not succeed. BNP has set December 10 to hold a massive anti-government rally in Dhaka through which the opposition party wants to knock the government down. Some BNP leaders even warned that after December 10 the country will be run by BNP.
Quader said they know some secrets behind the ongoing movement.
"We have received information that the money (being spent by BNP in the movement) is coming from Dubai," Quader said.
"This woman is a force": Washington Post
The renowned US news outlet Washington Post has lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her bold leadership on the global stage alongside Bangladesh’s impressive progress in women’s empowerment and achievements in education and poverty reduction.
In a refreshing approach, it has also provided glimpses of Sheikh Hasina’s lighter side.
The Washington Post article was published yesterday and written by Petula Dvorak — a columnist for the newspaper.
The article mentions that the PM celebrated her 76th birthday with her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and her 16-year-old granddaughter, who live in a suburb just outside Washington DC.
Read From the Editor-in-Chief: In the pantheon of leaders, Sheikh Hasina stands taller each year
“I cook for them,” Hasina said. “Chicken biryani … At my son’s house, I have my own kitchen that’s just for me.”
Dvorak interviewed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ritz-Carlton in north Virginia, where she was staying after attending the UNGA in New York.
Highlighting the Bangladesh PM’s success stories, Dvorak wrote, Sheikh Hasina is the longest-serving female head of government in the world.
The article said, the Prime Minister is leading a nation with more people than Russia and survived at least 20 assassination attempts, including a particularly bloody grenade attack in 2004.
Read Chinese Minister Liu greets Hasina on her 76th birthday
Referring to a man named Abdullah Niami, the writer said, he raised his 6-year-old daughter Zoya up high as he wanted her to see Sheikh Hasina — a female head of government which “America won’t see anytime soon”.
The article also highlighted that Sheikh Hasina is upholding the legacy of Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu, as the nation’s Prime Minister for four terms, totaling 18 years so far.
At the UN General Assembly, it said, the Prime Minister asked for help with accommodating more than a million Rohingya refugees who fled the violence in Myanmar and settled in Bangladesh camps.
Dvorak quoted Sheikh Hasina as saying that camp life is not good and the Rohingyas want to return to their country.
Read Hasina and Friends: Interactive gaming platform to educate children
Her nation’s migrant situation cannot be compared with America’s, she said, adding that the United States is a vast country with lots of land and opportunities to work.
Sheikh Hasina said, Bangladesh ranks as No. 8 in the world in terms of population, with more than 171 million people, but its size is close to that of Wisconsin in the US.
The article also highly appreciated the Sheikh Hasina government’s zero-tolerance approach to domestic terrorism.
The writer pointed out the “Despite Being a Women” meme featuring Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Read PM Hasina reaches London on the way back home
In response, the PM laughingly noted: sometimes “women are better than men”.
“Being a woman”, the Prime Minister said, she understands the struggles related to poverty in Bangladesh, the obstacles that most women face, and how their non-inclusion stalls a nation’s progress.
In the past decade, her government significantly reduced poverty in the country, expanded educational opportunities and improved housing, she said.
The Petula Dvorak's article quoted the World Bank that gives high marks for growth in Bangladesh under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, noting it went from “being one of the poorest nations at birth in 1971” to reaching “lower-middle income status in 2015.”
Read Sheikh Hasina: A legend in her own lifetime
From the Editor-in-Chief: In the pantheon of leaders, Sheikh Hasina stands taller each year
There is something almost cosmic to the coincidence that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s birthday each year falls right towards the back end of the annual get together of world leaders under the banner of the United Nations, as the colours of fall (or autumn) set in and the trees shed their leaves in America. This annual shindig of the international family of nations, each represented by their leader, happens to be - first and foremost - a global talkathon. Here, no nation is denied the opportunity to have its say. Well, almost no nation.
At the just-concluded 77th session, for the second straight year, Afghanistan and Myanmar weren’t heard at UN General Assembly’s leaders’ meeting, with no representative of either government stepping forward to take the lectern as the UN tries to resolve who should represent them. Joining them this year was the small African island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe - although their no-show happened to be more of a mystery, with no real explanations on offer or sought, it would seem. It goes without saying of course, that every year, a number of leaders’ participation just goes under the radar at the UNGA, that takes over the Turtle Bay area of New York City for almost a fortnight with all its side events, press conferences and external partnerships. Who flew in or who left when, is difficult to keep up with at the best of times.
Also read: From the Editor-in-Chief: UNGA – Dysfunctional, impotent, out-of-touch and yet essential
This year, with the in-person events resuming at full throttle for the first time in three years following the pandemic, there was an even greater rush and urgency to the proceedings. Time was when the Bangladeshi delegation would quietly register its presence on the designated date for its leader’s address, before withdrawing into some sideline events arranged by the expatriate community, somewhere far away in Brooklyn.
Over the course of the last ten years though, that has visibly changed. As Sheikh Hasina’s stature has grown among world leaders, with each passing year she seems to pack a busier and busier schedule during her stay in New York. The expatriate community, that includes a very energetic overseas wing of her own party, the U.S. Awami League, increasingly must satisfy itself with one or two sightings of the prime minister at best in their midst. Under Hasina’s leadership, Bangladesh today is an acknowledged partner in a number of bilateral and multilateral partnerships with the nations of the world, in a variety of fields ranging from security to the economy to conservation efforts. Its voice is increasingly heard, even sought.
Earlier this year, the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres invited our PM on board a very select group of just six leaders (the others being the highly respected heads of government of Barbados, Denmark, Germany, Indonesia and Senegal) to form a Global Crisis Response Group, to steer any global response, should the need arise, to any energy or food crisis that may suddenly occur, given the present vulnerabilities in which the world economy finds itself.
Also read: Shaping a "Bangladesh model" for development.
At the same time, Sheikh Hasina acts as co-chair of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, with Mia Amor Mottley, the prime minister of Barbados, who is also held in very high regard at the world leaders’ table. Their first event to raise awareness on this potentially vile problem was held on the sidelines of this year’s UNGA.
Meanwhile, a newly established Platform of Women Leaders, an initiative of UN Women, could hardly have been complete without the participation of one who is now the longest serving active head of state or government among women in the world. With the departure of Angela Merkel from Germany’s political arena, and the recent demise of Queen Elizabeth, perhaps no other woman commands the respect and admiration of her fellows at the world’s highest forum for deciding humanity’s course forward.
If birthdays are a time to reflect on life’s achievements, not just for oneself but for others, Sheikh Hasina’s is timed perfectly to demonstrate her worth to her people. Confidently strutting across the world stage, she is a beacon for her country’ aspirations. And we wish her many more still to come, as the very best ambassador for our nation.
Read Sheikh Hasina: A legend in her own lifetime
Shaping a "Bangladesh model" for development
Sheikh Hasina is the longest serving prime minister of Bangladesh. She is currently serving her fourth term in the government. Her administration changed the destiny of the nation since it brought about a period of stability and inclusive growth. She is one of the most seasoned leaders in South Asia and has steadily advocated for inclusive politics for over 40 years.
Hasina continues the legacy of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led the war-ravaged Bangladesh in 1972. This progressive objective, which has been dubbed the "leave no one behind" strategy locally, is in line with the UN's development goals. Hasina, who tragically lost her father and most of her family members, rose through the political ranks in an ever-evolving environment, from activist to full-fledged politician leading a coalition against a military junta to a seasoned statesman, reads a write-up published on Centre for Research and Information (CRI) website.
Read: Sheikh Hasina: A legend in her own lifetime
By emphasising long-term planning rather than just firefighting, the Hasina administration changed the direction of policymaking in Bangladesh for the first time in 2009. For any developing nation with low-income levels, this is a difficult decision. The wager was successful: in less than 15 years, Bangladesh's income tripled, exceeding that of its other significant South Asian neighbours, and the country's economy experienced growth that has consistently ranked among the top 10 in the world.
Hasina is well known for her people-centric policies in Bangladesh. It's because she is one of the few politicians to have visited every part of the nation. Unbeknownst to many, Hasina enjoys reading a lot, especially anything with a focus on politics or statecraft.
Vision 2021, Digital Bangladesh, the Delta Plan, Vision 2041, and the Social Security Strategy are a few of Hasina's noteworthy initiatives. She chose her priorities, just like every politician who takes risks. Among the top investments were those in the energy and infrastructure sectors. She drew a thin line separating the development agenda from the political clamour. Simply said, all of these policies are interrelated, with the premise being that long-term, visionary thinking is required.
For instance, the nearly century-old multisectoral Delta Plan gives climate change first priority in all national fiscal decisions. Bangladesh's development is most at risk from climate change because it is a low-lying nation. Vision 2021, which was developed to raise Bangladesh to middle-income status, also calls for the universal digitalization of an antiquated governance structure and the e-connectivity of a predominately rural economy. Vision 2041 solely focuses on Bangladesh's goal to become a developed, high-income economy.
These policies must be implemented in a specific setting. When the Hasina administration began office, Bangladesh was faced with a number of complex issues, some of which were exclusive to Bangladesh but many of which were also experienced by other emerging nations. Political instability, infrastructural bottlenecks, inadequate energy and power supplies, low income levels, and digital disconnect were among the main issues cited by Bangladesh observers and development partners (such as the World Bank).
Hasina's initiatives reduced poverty at an unprecedented rate. According to the World Bank's classification, Bangladesh transitioned from a low-income nation to a lower-middle income country in 2015. Bangladesh was scheduled to transition from a least developed country (LDC) to a developing country in 2021, as per UN criteria.
Read:Special publication launched lauding PM Hasina's extraordinary leadership
The determination of the Hasina administration to revive Bangladesh's economy frequently makes international news. Who wouldn't want to learn about a success story from the developing world, after all? The fact that she gave agriculture utmost priority receives less attention. From being reliant on food help, Hasina deliberately transformed Bangladesh into a food-secure nation. Nothing less than a stealthy revolution has occurred here. In Bangladesh, periodic famines were common even 30 years ago. Agriculture and poverty went hand in hand. Hasina made the audacious choice to step in. She made a research investment.
According to insight, Hasina holds farmers in high regard and gives policies pertaining to the agriculture sector high priority. The Hasina administration funded agricultural research, particularly at universities and research centres with public funding. In parallel, she has kept agriculture subsidies even as subsidies were disappearing from other sectors.
Hasina recognised that Bangladesh is the world's most populous nation (other than city-states). Farmland will inevitably get smaller. Efficiency and productivity are the only options. In the media, Hasina frequently appears urging common Bangladeshis to "produce anything they can, and not leave an inch of land unoccupied." An obvious illustration of how political rhetoric may reflect policy priorities.
Hasina is subject to criticism and never fails to come under fire. What matters is that she remained true to her vision while taking advice from her detractors. She has shaped a "Bangladesh model" for development that academics have yet to analyse.
Sheikh Hasina: A legend in her own lifetime
We may not have a Joe Biden to add a new chapter to American history or a Vladimir Putin to push back the boundaries of Russian territory by military might; we may not have a Xi Jinping to invite the world to his 'Belt and Road Initiative' or a Narendra Modi to shepherd Indians towards a one-family world (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam); we may not have an Angela Merkel to try hard to make good the war damage and reshape a new Germany or a Justin Trudeau to dream of a just society in an unjust world – but we have a Sheikh Hasina, our dearly beloved Prime Minister, whose dearest wish is simply to bring smiles to millions of faces.
Her worthy father, the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman too longed for this. It's no small thing to bring smiles to people's faces. People meant the world to Bangabandhu and it is all the same to Hasina too. Putting smiles on faces of the have-nots embodies the very essence of her political philosophy.
Read: PM Hasina’s 76th birthday Wednesday
Sheikh Hasina is a legend in her own lifetime. Love of people is her life force. She is our Paramount Leader. We don't need anybody else at this moment in time to promise us the moon or the land of milk and honey. We are quite content with a Bangladesh which has survived the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic and whose people are still having a square meal and sheltered accommodation while countries like Sri Lanka have gone bankrupt. Against all the odds at home and abroad, Bangladesh is rising through the ranks from 'the Basket Case' to 'the Emerging Tiger' under the visionary leadership of Sheikh Hasina – our longest serving and larger than life premier.
We are a peaceable nation. But we understand war. We have bought our independence at the cost of blood, sweat and tears and we will sustain it at all costs. But we don't want to assert dominance over others, we only want to assert our rights. We want our fair share of the cake – in our lands, waters and the skies. We don't poke our nose into others' affairs, nor do we want others to stick theirs into ours. We foster friendship with all and bear grudges against none. This is what the Father of the Nation taught us and we abide by. Our visions, missions and core values as an independent nation are shaping up nicely in the hands of our dynamic and forward-looking premier, Sheikh Hasina.
Read: Special publication launched lauding PM Hasina's extraordinary leadership
This is the fourth time Sheikh Hasina is serving the country as Prime Minister. But it was never plane sailing. She has survived as many as twenty attempts on her life after the assassination of Bangabandhu. The enemies were common and lots more have been added to the list. Her strong personality, iron will and lifelong commitment to the Liberation War ideals earned her the enmity of people opposed to them. She faces opposition at home and abroad but never gives in. Despite the World Bank's deliberate non-cooperation in the country's largest construction project, US Government's sanctions on the elite paramilitary force RAB (Rapid Action Battalion), and the global post-COVID-19 economic depression, Sheikh Hasina is carrying on with her development work.
Hasina is easily the epitome of what a prime minister of a 50-year-old country and a custodian of a nascent economy should be like. As one of us, she is guiding 160 million people on how to reach a common goal. We have seen her cooking food in the kitchen, wearing a handloom saree, wrapping its edge around her waist and grinding spices on the stone with her own hands; we have also seen her making rabble-rousing speeches at the Paltan Maidan. We have seen her walking barefoot on the sandy shores of the beach; we have also seen her taking local rickshaw van rides among village folks breaking security barriers. We have seen her giving the Rohingya children big hugs at their ramshackle camps; and we have also seen her striking the war criminals with iron fists. Hasina is a beautiful blend of simplicity and toughness.
Read PM: Returning from UNGA with friendship for Bangladesh
Today is Sheikh Hasina's 76th birthday. Wishes come flooding in from home and abroad. I have also a lot to say. But words fail me. On Tagore's 80th birthday as Mahatma Gandhi sent a telegram saying "Four score not enough. May you finish five", Tagore, wearied of age and illness, replied with thanks: "Four score is impertinence [and] five score intolerable." But on her 76th birthday, our HPM is quite hale and hearty. She enjoys life through work. She gently scolds the newsmen for reminding her of her age just for the fun of it. For sure she has proved that she has the 'impertinence' to live for 4 score years minus 4; and to finish full four and then five will not, perhaps, be 'intolerable' to her as it never appears that she has outlived her usefulness. She has approached 76 chronologically, but age could not wither her. She never feels old and weary. Except for 5 hours of sleep a day, she spends the rest of the time thinking of the good of her country and her people. She could have died with her parents on that fateful August night in 1975. But she survived. Maybe, in the nation's relay race, nature wanted Bangabandhu's baton to be passed on to her. Fortune smiled upon Bangladesh and we had Sheikh Hasina as the worthy heir of Bangabandhu and to his politics. She is our pride and joy.
Read What PM said on Russia-Ukraine war, Rohingya issue, climate action, terrorism at 77th UNGA
The writer is an academic, fictionist, columnist, translator, media personality and former vice chancellor of Kushtia Islamic University, Bangladesh. Email: [email protected]
PM Hasina’s 76th birthday Wednesday
The 76th birthday of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also the president of ruling Awami League, will be celebrated on Wednesday.
Sheikh Hasina, the eldest among the five children of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, was born at Tungipara in Gopalganj on September 28 in 1947.
The premier is now in the USA where she addressed the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) besides attending a host of other events.
AL and its affiliated and likeminded organisations will celebrate the day through various programmes focusing on her life and achievements.
The birthday celebration will be marked by discussions, doa and milad-mahfil and special prayers in the capital and elsewhere in the country.
Sheikh Hasina assumed office on 7 January, 2019, for the fourth time after her party-led grand alliance won the 11th parliamentary election held on December 30, 2018.
She served as Prime Minister for the first time in 1996-2001, second term in 2009-2013, and the third term in 2014-2018. Hasina served as the Leader of Opposition thrice.
Read: PM Hasina’s 75th birthday to be celebrated Tuesday
Hasina spent much of her childhood in her birthplace Tungipara in Gopalganj district. When Bangabandhu was elected a legislator, his family moved to Dhaka in 1954. She graduated from the University of Dhaka in 1973.
Having a chequered political career, Hasina was elected vice-president of the Students Union of the Government Intermediate Girls College when she contested as a candidate from the Students League.
Later, she served as secretary and then as president of the college unit of the Student League. She was also a member of the Students League at Dhaka University and became the secretary of the Rokeya Hall unit. She actively participated in all mass movements from her student life.
Bangabandhu, along with the members of his family, was brutally assassinated on the fateful night of August 15, 1975. Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana survived the carnage as they were in Germany at that time.
Hasina was unanimously elected as the president of Bangladesh Awami League in 1981 in her absence while she was in forced exile. She finally returned home on May 17, 1981, ending her six years in exile.
She faced the wrath of the then rulers on her return as she launched a movement to restore democracy in the country. Hasina was detained time and again, and at least 22 attempts were made on her life.