Sheikh Hasina[b] (born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Bangladesh from June 1996 to July 2001 and again from January 2009 to August 2024.

[16][17] As leader of the opposition, Hasina accused Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of electoral dishonesty and boycotted Parliament, which was followed by violent demonstrations and political turmoil.

[19] Her second premiership (2009–2024) was marked by economic mismanagement and rampant corruption, leading to rising foreign debt, increasing inflation, youth unemployment and banking irregularities.

[42] In one interview, she remarked that "For instance, after the United Front Ministry was elected in 1954, and we were living in No 3 Minto Road, one day, my mother told us that father had been arrested the night before.

Ershad dissolved the parliament in December 1987 when Hasina and her Awami League resigned in an attempt to call for a fresh general election to be held under a neutral government.

[67] During November and December in 1987, a mass uprising happened in Dhaka and several people were killed, including Noor Hossain, an Awami League activist and supporter of Hasina.

The Awami League had expected to win back the seat, but the BNP candidate won through rigging and manipulation, according to the neutral parties who witnessed the election.

[76] The Hasina government adopted the New Industrial Policy in 1999 which aimed to bolster the private sector and attract foreign direct investment, thus expediating the globalisation process.

The policy aimed to guarantee security and employment, create an educated and skilled workforce, eliminate discrimination and repression against women, establish human rights and end poverty and ensure participation in socio-economic development.

[79] In late 2003, the Awami League started its first major anti-government movement, culminating in the declaration by party general secretary Abdul Jolil that the government would fall before 30 April 2004.

In May 2007, the police filed chargesheet against 19 leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliates for vandalising, setting fire to and looting the office of the Islamic Social Welfare Council but all of them were acquitted in court in June 2011.

[89][90] Presidential Advisor Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury negotiated with Hasina and Khaleda Zia and brought all the parties to the planned 22 January 2007 parliamentary elections.

[124] She decided to participate in the parliamentary election under the banner of the "Grand Alliance" with the Jatiya Party, led by Hussain Muhammad Ershad, as its main partner.

The manifesto included pledges to implement measures to reduce price hikes; combat corruption by strengthening the independent ACC and submission of annual wealth statements by influential people; introduction of a long-term policy towards power and energy increasing power generation to 7,000 megawatts by 2013; bringing vibrancy to the agriculture sector and extending the safety net to the poor; creating good governance and curtailing terrorism and religious extremism; prosecution of 1971 war criminals; ensuring an independent and impartial judiciary; reforming the electoral system; strengthening the Human Rights Commission and de-politicising the administration.

[138] On 27 June 2013, a case against Hasina and 24 other Bangladeshi Ministers and security personnel was lodged at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the alleged violation of human rights.

[144] Hasina secured a second-consecutive term in office with her ruling Awami League and its Grand Alliance allies, winning the 2014 general election by a landslide.

[164] Hasina is a patron of the Asian University for Women, led by Chancellor Cherie Blair, and including the First Lady of Japan, Akie Abe, as well as Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO.

Developmental measures outlined in the address include continuing the service's digital transformation, and the construction of cooling units in postal warehouses to pave the way for the sending of perishable food by mail.

[176] During the 2023 G20 New Delhi summit, Hasina had a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss diversifying India-Bangladesh cooperation, including areas like connectivity and commercial linkages.

[193][194][195] The government then shut down internet access for all non-essential purposes, conducted a massive crackdown on protestors with the help of the armed forces, and imposed a curfew that lasted five days.

[196][197] The Supreme Court agreed to reform the quota system,[198][199] but the protesters then demanded justice for those killed during the demonstrations and an official apology from Hasina and the resignation of certain ministers they believed were responsible for inciting violence.

[219] On 13 August, Hasina released her first confirmed statements since her overthrow published by Wazed Joy calling for an investigation into the killings made during the protests, while insisting that police and the Awami League were also victims of "terrorist aggression".

[226] On 29 August, the interim government issued an ordinance revoking a law providing special privileges to the Sheikh–Wazed family, including Sheikh Hasina, under which it was enacted in 2009.

[230] In December 2024, the Bangladeshi government opened an investigation against Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and her niece, Tulip Siddiq, who is an MP and was then a cabinet minister in the United Kingdom, over allegations of embezzlement of $5 million in funds for the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant using offshore accounts in Malaysia.

The 2014 general election, boycotted by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led to a one-sided result, with the ruling Awami League winning most seats uncontested.

[254] Human rights groups have condemned Sheikh Hasina's government for its use of midnight arrests and enforced disappearances, particularly targeting political opponents, activists, and journalists.

[256] Sheikh Hasina's government has been accused of corruption and money laundering, especially in relation to large infrastructure projects such as the Padma Bridge and Dhaka Metro Rail.

In 2012, the World Bank withdrew its funding from the Padma Bridge project, citing allegations of a conspiracy to commit corruption involving senior government officials.

Similarly, the Dhaka Metro Rail project has faced accusations of cost inflation and kickbacks involving government officials, further fueling concerns of misuse of state funds.

[262] Hasina's niece (and Sheikh Rehana's daughter) is Tulip Siddiq, a British Labour Party politician and elected Member of Parliament and City Minister.