Sheikh Hasina: The Daughter of Democracy and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh


Sheikh Hasina is the current and longest-serving prime minister of Bangladesh, who has led the country since 2009. She is also the president of the Awami League, the largest political party in Bangladesh, and the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father and the first president of Bangladesh. She has been hailed as a champion of democracy, development, and women’s rights, as well as a global leader on climate change, peace, and humanitarian issues.


Quick Facts

  • Full Name: Sheikh Hasina Wazed
  • Known As: Sheikh Hasina
  • Nickname: N/A
  • Father: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
  • Mother: Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib
  • Siblings: Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal, Sheikh Rehana, Sheikh Russel
  • Husband: M.A. Wazed Miah
  • Daughter: Saima Wazed Hossain
  • Son: Sajeeb Wazed Joy
  • Age (Present): 75 years old
  • Height: 5 feet 4 inches
  • Weight: 65 kg
  • Salary: ৳ ৮০০০০ (80,000 BDT) per month
  • Net Worth: N/A
  • Date of Birth: September 28, 1947
  • Birthplace: Tungipara, Gopalganj, Bangladesh
  • Date of Death: N/A
  • Death Place: N/A
  • Cause of Death: N/A
  • Remains: N/A
  • Gender: Female
  • Zodiac Sign: Libra
  • Religion: Islam
  • Race or Ethnicity: Bengali
  • Education: Bachelor of Arts in History from Eden Mohila College; Bachelor of Laws from University of Dhaka
  • Nationality: Bangladeshi
  • Influenced: N/A
  • Major Writings: The Origin of Autocracy (1983); Why are they Street Children? (1996); People and Democracy (1997); Development for the Masses (2008); My Dream My Struggle (2018); etc.
  • Occupation: Politician, Stateswoman, Author
  • Social Media:
    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheikhHasinaOfficial/
    • Twitter: https://twitter.com/hasinapmoffice?lang=en


Career

Sheikh Hasina began her political career in 1968 as a student activist and a political liaison for her father during his imprisonment by the Pakistani government. She joined the Awami League in 1970 and was elected as one of its vice presidents in 1973. After her father and most of her family were assassinated in a military coup in 1975, she went into exile in India and later in the United Kingdom. She returned to Bangladesh in 1981 and became the president of the Awami League. She led the movement for democracy against the military regimes of Ziaur Rahman and Hussain Muhammad Ershad in the 1980s and participated in several elections boycotted by the opposition parties.

She became the leader of the opposition in the parliament after the first free general election in 1991, which was won by her rival Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). She led a series of protests and strikes against the BNP government over allegations of corruption, misrule, and vote rigging. In 1996, she became the prime minister for the first time after winning a landslide victory in a snap election following a caretaker government system. She pursued a policy of economic liberalization, social development, regional cooperation, and peace talks with India and Pakistan. She also signed the historic Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India and the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord with the indigenous groups.

She lost the 2001 election to Khaleda Zia and again became the leader of the opposition. She faced several assassination attempts and harassment by the BNP government and its allies. She boycotted the 2007 election over concerns of fairness and transparency and was detained by a military-backed caretaker government on charges of corruption and abuse of power. She was released from jail in June 2008 and led her party to a landslide victory in the general election held on December 29, 2008, winning 230 out of 300 seats in the parliament. She formed a grand alliance with the Jatiya Party and other smaller parties and became the prime minister for the second time on January 6, 2009.

She embarked on a series of ambitious development projects, such as the Padma Bridge, the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the Rampal Power Station, and the Dhaka Metro Rail. She also initiated various social welfare programs, such as the Digital Bangladesh vision, the One House One Farm scheme, the Education Assistance Trust Fund, and the Ashrayan Project. She improved the country’s economic growth, reduced poverty and inequality, increased female empowerment, and enhanced regional and international cooperation. She also faced several challenges, such as the Rana Plaza collapse, the Hefazat-e-Islam protests, the Shahbag movement, the BDR mutiny, the Rohingya refugee crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

She won a third consecutive term in office in the controversial 2018 election, which was marred by allegations of vote rigging, violence, and intimidation by her party and its allies. She secured 288 out of 300 seats in the parliament, while her main opponent Khaleda Zia was in jail on corruption charges. She formed a new cabinet with some new faces and some old ones. She vowed to continue her development agenda and uphold democracy, human rights, and secularism. She also faced criticism from some quarters for her authoritarian tendencies, the crackdown on dissent, and alleged involvement in corruption scandals.


Early Life & Childhood

Sheikh Hasina was born on September 28, 1947, in Tungipara, a remote village in the Gopalganj district of East Bengal (now Bangladesh). She was the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib. Her father was a prominent leader of the Awami League and a key figure in the Bengali nationalist movement that sought autonomy and later independence from Pakistan. Her mother was a homemaker who supported her husband’s political activities and raised their children with care and affection.

Sheikh Hasina grew up in a politically charged environment and witnessed many historical events that shaped her country’s destiny. She attended different schools in Dhaka and Tungipara and completed her secondary education at Eden Mohila College in 1965. She then enrolled at the University of Dhaka to study history. She was active in student politics and served as her father’s political liaison during his imprisonment by the Pakistani government. She also participated in various cultural and social activities and developed a keen interest in music and literature.

She married M.A. Wazed Miah, an eminent nuclear scientist, in 1968. They had two children: Sajeeb Wazed Joy, born in 1971, and Saima Wazed Hossain, born in 1972. Her husband supported her political career and remained loyal to her until his death in 2009.


Personal Life & Family

Sheikh Hasina has faced many tragedies and hardships in her personal life. In 1971, during the Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan, she and her family were detained for a brief period by the Pakistani army. She also lost her grandmother and uncle in an air raid by the Pakistani air force. She gave birth to her son Joy while she was in exile in India with her mother and sister.

In 1975, she lost her father, mother, three brothers, and several relatives in a brutal military coup that assassinated them at their residence in Dhaka. She was out of the country at that time with her husband and children. She survived several assassinations attempts herself while she was in exile and after she returned to Bangladesh.

She has maintained a close bond with her sister Sheikh Rehana, who is also a politician and a member of the Awami League. She is also devoted to her children and grandchildren. Her son Joy is an IT consultant and a political adviser to his mother. He is married to Christine Wazed Miah, an American citizen of Greek origin. They have two children: Sajeeb Wazed Putul and Sajeeb Wazed Navin. Her daughter Saima is a psychologist and an autism activist. She is married to Khandker Masrur Hossain Mitu, a businessman.


Later Life & Death

Sheikh Hasina is still alive and serving as the prime minister of Bangladesh for the fourth time. She has been recognized as one of the most influential and powerful women leaders in the world by various international media and organizations. She has also received numerous awards and honors for her achievements and contributions to peace, development, democracy, and human rights. Some of the notable awards and honors she has received are:


  • UNESCO Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize (1998) for her role in ending the Chittagong Hill Tracts insurgency
  • CERES Medal (1999) by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for her efforts to fight hunger and poverty
  • The Pearl S. Buck Award (2000) by the Randolph-Macon Woman’s College for her vision, courage, and achievements in political, humanitarian, and cultural spheres
  • Mother Teresa Award (2006) by the All India Peace Council for her social work and peace initiatives
  • Indira Gandhi Prize (2009) by the Indian government for her contribution to democracy, pluralism, women’s empowerment, and regional cooperation
  • UNESCO Peace Tree Award (2014) by the UNESCO Centre for Peace for her commitment to women’s empowerment and girl’s education
  • Champions of the Earth Award (2015) by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for her leadership on climate change
  • Agent of Change Award (2016) by the Global Partnership Forum for her role in promoting women’s rights and girls’ education
  • Planet 50-50 Champion Award (2016) by the UN-Women for her outstanding contribution to women’s empowerment
  • Dr. Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award (2019) by the Dr. Kalam Smriti International Advisory Council for her close and mutually satisfying India-Bangladesh relationship, the welfare of her people, particularly women, and children, and international peace and cooperation

She has also received nine honorary doctorate degrees from various universities around the world, such as Boston University, Waseda University, Visva-Bharati University, Catholic University of Brussels, Australian National University, Assam University, Tripura University, Kolkata University, Kazi Nazrul University.


Some Unknown Information

Here are some unknown or lesser-known facts about Sheikh Hasina:


  • She is fond of music and literature and has written several books on politics, history, and culture. She also plays the harmonium and sings occasionally.
  • She is fluent in Bengali, English, Urdu, and Hindi languages.
  • She is a fan of cricket and football and supports the Bangladesh national teams.
  • She is a devotee of Sufism and visits the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal and Hazrat Shah Paran in Sylhet every year.
  • She is a vegetarian and avoids spicy food. She likes fruits, vegetables, sweets, and dairy products.
  • She is a grandmother of five grandchildren: two from her son Joy and three from her daughter Saima.
  • She is a follower of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence and has a portrait of him in her office.
  • She is a recipient of the honorary citizenship of Houston city in Texas, USA.
  • She is a patron of the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka which showcases the history and artifacts of the Bangladesh Liberation War.