Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina’s Journey from a Democratic ICON to an Authoritarian Prime Minister:

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh began her career by joining political adversaries in a collective effort to reinstate democratic principles. However, her extensive tenure in office has been characterized by the apprehension of opposition figures, restrictions on freedom of expression, and the curtailment of dissenting voices.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 76 years secured her fourth consecutive term and fifth overall through a decisive victory in the recent general election held on Sunday. Notably, the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), opted to boycott this electoral process for the second time in the last three polls.
Haseena has downplayed the main opposition party by calling it a terrorist organization.
Sheikh Hasina, the progeny of the architect of the nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who spearheaded Bangladesh’s liberation from Pakistan, was fortuitously abroad in Europe during the tragic events of 1975 when a military coup led to the assassination of a substantial number of her family members.
Born in 1947 in southwestern Bangladesh, formerly known as East Pakistan, Sheikh Hasina emerged as the eldest among five siblings. In 1973, she successfully earned a degree in Bengali literature from Dhaka University. Her initiation into politics transpired through her role as an intermediary between her father and his student adherents.
In 1981, she returned to Bangladesh from her exile in India. Subsequently, she allied with her political adversary, BNP chief and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Together, they spearheaded a mass movement advocating for democracy, ultimately resulting in the removal of military ruler Hossain Mohammad Ershad from power in 1990.
The alliance forged with Zia did not prove to be durable, and the protracted and acrimonious rivalry between the two female leaders, commonly referred to as the “battling begums,” came to exert a lasting influence over Bangladeshi political dynamics for an extended period.
Hasina initially assumed the position of prime minister in 1996, only to face electoral defeat to Zia five years subsequently. Subsequently, both individuals found themselves incarcerated on charges of corruption in 2007 following a coup orchestrated by a government with military backing.
The legal charges were subsequently dismissed, enabling the individuals in question to participate in the electoral process the subsequent year. In a resounding victory, Hasina emerged as the prevailing candidate and has maintained her position in governance ever since.
Over the course of her tenure, she has exhibited a growing inclination toward autocracy, characterized by the widespread detention of political opponents and activists, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.
At the age of 78, Zia’s health deteriorated, leading to her confinement in a hospital after her 2018 sentencing to a 17-year prison term on corruption charges. Prominent members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have been incarcerated, and Zia’s eldest son and presumed successor, Tarique Rahman, currently resides in exile in the United Kingdom.
rights groups have issued warnings regarding the potential establishment of de facto one-party rule under the leadership of Hasina’s Awami League.
Prime Minister Hasina declined the demands of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to step down and facilitate the administration of the election by a neutral authority. She asserted that the opposition was responsible for inciting anti-government protests in Dhaka, ongoing since late October, resulting in a minimum of 14 casualties.
Both Prime Minister Hasina and her political rivals have exchanged accusations of attempting to foment chaos and violence, thereby undermining political stability and jeopardizing the fragile democratic foundation in Bangladesh, a country with a population of 170 million.
Prime Minister Hasina asserted that she does not feel the need to substantiate the election’s credibility to any external entity, emphasizing the importance of acceptance by the people of Bangladesh.
Asif Nazrul, a Professor of Law at Dhaka University, conveyed to Al Jazeera that while Hasina is regarded as a politically astute figure, history may ultimately characterize her as a leader who maintained authority through repression rather than a popular mandate. He highlighted the unprecedented nature of a political figure remaining in power for an extended period without a clear mandate from the people.
Nazrul expressed the view that Hasina’s current level of popularity is questionable, citing the recent turnout on Sunday as an indicator of the extent of public support for Hasina and her party. He characterized Hasina’s leadership as having established a precedent globally on how a leader can establish autocracy under the guise of democracy, cautioning that such a legacy is not one to be proud of.
Mixed legacy of 15-year rule
Sheikh Hasina has garnered commendation from her supporters for steering Bangladesh through a notable economic upswing, primarily propelled by the predominantly female workforce underpinning the nation’s garment export industry.
Since gaining independence from Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh, formerly one of the world’s most impoverished countries, has experienced an average annual growth rate exceeding 6% since 2009.
This economic transformation has resulted in a substantial reduction in poverty rates, with over 95 % of the country’s 170 million inhabitants now having access to electricity. Furthermore, Bangladesh’s per capita income surpassed that of India in 2021.
Internationally, Hasina has received accolades for her humanitarian efforts, particularly for opening Bangladesh’s borders to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees escaping a 2017 military crackdown in neighboring Myanmar.
Additionally, she has been commended for her resolute response to domestic security challenges, notably the decisive crackdown on hardline Muslim groups following a 2016 incident where five homegrown extremists attacked a Dhaka cafe popular among Western expatriates, resulting in the tragic loss of 22 lives.
However, Hasina’s governance has also attracted criticism, particularly concerning her perceived intolerance towards dissent. This has led to growing resentment domestically and expressions of concern from Western powers. Notably, the execution of five prominent Muslim leaders and a senior opposition figure over the past decade, convicted for crimes against humanity committed during the brutal 1971 liberation war, has raised ethical and human rights concerns. The delicate balance between economic progress, security imperatives, and the protection of civil liberties presents a complex landscape for evaluating Sheikh Hasina’s leadership.
Instead of fostering reconciliation in the aftermath of the conflict, the judicial proceedings precipitated widespread protests and violent confrontations. Detractors of the trials dismissed them as a charade, asserting that they constituted a politically motivated endeavor aimed at stifling dissent. In response to allegations of extensive human rights violations, the United States levied sanctions on a distinguished segment of Bangladesh’s security forces and seven high-ranking officers.
Concurrently, the nation’s economic momentum has decelerated significantly, exacerbated by the ramifications of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which elevated the costs of fuel and food imports. Consequently, Bangladesh sought a $4.7 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund last year. With inflation reaching 9.5 percent in November, marking one of the highest levels in decades, mitigating this economic challenge looms as a primary imperative for Prime Minister Hasina in her ensuing term, during which the international community will scrutinize her commitment to democratic principles.
Munshi Faiz Ahmed, a former Director-General of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, a state-endorsed think tank specializing in security and strategic matters, has characterized Hasina as perhaps the most adept political strategist in the nation’s history. Reflecting on the preceding decade, Ahmed underscores the formidable challenges faced by Hasina, including a dense population residing in limited territorial expanse, meager mineral resources, a fractious and opinionated populace, and persistent geopolitical pressures.
Ahmed contends that Hasina adeptly navigated these complex circumstances, steering Bangladesh towards prosperity and geopolitical significance. Describing her as a politician of unparalleled competence in recent history, he notes her success in managing Western pressures following a contentious election while concurrently fostering amicable relations with major powers such as China, India, and Russia, all of whom have expressed support for her administration.
In the contemporary geopolitical landscape, Ahmed emphasizes the shift towards multipolarity, asserting that Hasina’s government is unlikely to encounter substantial challenges. Consequently, he anticipates a favorable trajectory for her administration in the prevailing global order.