From Ousting a Military Dictator to Fleeing Bangladesh — Sheikh Hasina’s 15 Years in Power

Sheikh Hasina, a name synonymous with Bangladesh’s political landscape, once played a pivotal role in rescuing the country from military rule. However, her prolonged tenure came to an abrupt end as protesters stormed her palace in Dhaka on Monday. Her 15 consecutive years as Prime Minister were characterized by both an economic renaissance and significant controversies, including the mass arrest of political opponents and international human rights sanctions against her security forces.

The protests that culminated in Hasina’s ousting began in July, initiated by university students rallying against civil service job quotas. These protests quickly escalated into violent unrest, with demands for her resignation. The government’s response, involving attacks on demonstrators by police and pro-government student groups, drew international condemnation.

Despite her autocratic tendencies, Sheikh Hasina, 76, secured a fifth term as Prime Minister in January. However, the opposition boycotted the election, claiming it was neither free nor fair. Critics of her government have pointed to numerous rights abuses, including the murder of opposition activists.

Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the revolutionary leader who led Bangladesh to independence, oversaw rapid economic growth in a country once dismissed by US statesman Henry Kissinger as an irredeemable “basket case.” Her promise to transform Bangladesh into a “prosperous and developed country” remains unmet, with around 18 million young Bangladeshis reportedly out of work.

Hasina was abroad when, at 27, she learned of the assassination of her father, mother, and three brothers by renegade military officers during a 1975 coup. She returned six years later to lead her father’s Awami League party, enduring a decade-long struggle that included lengthy periods of house arrest.

Joining forces with Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Hasina helped oust military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1990. However, their alliance quickly soured, leading to a fierce rivalry that has dominated modern Bangladeshi politics.

Hasina first served as Prime Minister in 1996 but lost to Zia five years later. Both were imprisoned on corruption charges in 2007 following a military-backed coup. After the charges were dropped, Hasina won a landslide victory in the 2008 election and remained in power until her recent ousting. Meanwhile, Zia, now 78 and in poor health, is confined to a hospital, having been sentenced to 17 years in prison for graft in 2018, with many top BNP leaders also imprisoned.

Supporters credit Hasina with leading Bangladesh through an economic boom, driven largely by the female-dominated garment export industry. Since gaining independence from Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh has seen an average annual economic growth of over six percent since 2009. Poverty has significantly decreased, and over 95 percent of the country’s 170 million people now have access to electricity. In 2021, Bangladesh’s per capita income even surpassed that of India.

Hasina also received praise for her decisive action against militants in the Muslim-majority nation, particularly following the 2016 Dhaka cafe attack, where five Bangladeshi extremists killed 22 people, mostly Western expatriates.

Despite these economic successes, Hasina’s government has faced criticism for its intolerance of dissent, raising concerns both domestically and internationally. Over the past decade, five top Islamist leaders and a senior opposition figure were executed for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 liberation war. These trials sparked mass protests and deadly clashes, with opponents decrying them as politically motivated and aimed at silencing dissent.

In 2021, the US imposed sanctions on an elite branch of Bangladesh’s security forces and seven top officers over widespread human rights abuses. Amid growing protests, Hasina defended her record, stating, “Over 15 years, I’ve built this country. What didn’t I do for the people?”

Sheikh Hasina’s 15 years in power were marked by remarkable economic growth and significant political turmoil. Her legacy is a complex one, reflecting both her contributions to Bangladesh’s development and the controversies that ultimately led to her dramatic fall from power.