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Hasina, Sheikh (b.1947- ) Prime Minister of Bangladesh
(1996-2001). Sheikh Hasina was born on 28 September 1947 at her parental
home at Tungipara in Gopalganj district. She is the eldest among the five
children of Bangabandhu sheikh
mujibur rahman.
After her schooling at Azimpur Girls' High School (1965), she
completed her higher secondary education at Government Intermediate
College (currently Badrunnesa Government College for Women) in
1967 and graduated from the University of Dhaka in 1973. While
at Government Intermediate College, she was elected vice president
of the College Students Union for the term 1966-67. Hasina got
married to Dr MA Wazed Miah, a nuclear scientist, in 1968.
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Sheikh Hasina |
Sheikh Hasina was a member of the Dhaka University unit
of Chhatra League and secretary of the Rokeya Hall unit. Though she took
active interest in politics and political movements throughout her student
life, Hashina joined politics formally as a leader of the awami
league after the assassination of her father, Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman.
While living in self-exile with her husband in New Delhi,
Sheikh Hasina was elected the president of Bangladesh Awami League in
1981, and since then she has been the president of the party. In 1983,
Hasina formed the 15-party alliance to launch a movement to oust the military
dictator, hussain
muhammad ershad from power. In the parliamentary elections
of 1986, she was elected from 3 constituencies and became the leader of
the opposition in the jatiya
sangsad.
In 1990, Sheikh Hasina's 8-party alliance participated
with other opposition alliances in organising the mass movement that dislodged
Ershad from power. Ershad was forced to hand over power to a neutral caretaker
government according to the formula imposed on him by the alliances.
In the election that followed in February 1991, Awami League emerged as
the second largest party in Sangsad and Sheikh Hasina was duly elected
leader of the opposition. She played a significant role in forging a parliamentary
consensus for the 12th Amendment to the constitution
in August 1991 introducing parliamentary system of government in the country.
In 1994, Sheikh Hasina organised her party to launch a movement with a view to persuading the government to introduce a constitutionally non-party caretaker government so as to ensure free and fair elections. It was a unique political concept not only for Bangladesh but for all countries having parliamentary democracies. She could impress upon other opposition parties, including the jatiya party and the jamaat-e-islami bangladesh to join the movement. In the long run, the
bangladesh nationalist party government was persuaded to accept the concept and bring the 13th amendment to the constitution in the sixth Jatiya Sangsad (March 1996) providing for a non-party caretaker government. The parliamentary elections of 12 June 1996 were held under the caretaker government headed by Mr. Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman. In the elections, the Awami League emerged as the single majority party, and Sheikh Hasina became the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on 23 June 1996. Her government was formed with the support from some other parties. Sheikh Hasina's administration (1996-2001) was marked by the 30-year ganges water sharing Treaty with India in November 1996, signing of the chittagong hill tracts peace accord in December 1997, achieving considerable success in increasing foodgrain production, improving bilateral relations with many countries, completing the Jamuna Bridge which her government named bangabandhu jamuna multipurpose bridge, and so on. While prime minister, she had received several honoris causas from various institutions and universities of the world as a mark of her esteem as a public leader. In the eighth parliamentary elections held on 1 October 2001, Sheikh Hasina's Awami League won only 62 seats as against the two-third majority of the BNP-led 4-party alliance. Sheikh Hasina was duly elected the leader of the opposition.
Sheikh Hasina has authored many books, which include
Ora Tokai Keno (1988), Bangladeshey Svairatantrer Janma
(1993), Samarik-tantra Banam Ganatantra (1994), People and Democracy
(1997), Amar Swapna Amar Sangram (1997), Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsadey
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1998), Bipanna Ganatantra Lanchhita
Manabata (2002). [Helal Uddin Ahmed] |
