Bangladesh's longest-serving prime minister, Sheikh Hasina Wazed, began her political career as a pro-democracy icon, but fled mass protests against her rule in August 2024 after 15 years in power. Since then, Hasina has been in self-imposed exile in India, following her ousting by a student-led uprising that swept across the nation.
On 17 November, a special tribunal in Dhaka sentenced her to death after convicting her of crimes against humanity, linked to a crackdown on protestors that resulted in approximately 1,400 deaths. According to UN investigators, Hasina's government employed systemic violence against civilians during her final weeks in office, marking the worst bloodshed in the country since its independence in 1971.
The protests precipitated an unexpected end to Hasina's two-decade rule. Initially credited with economic advancement in Bangladesh, her government faced increasing accusations of authoritarianism and violence against opposition, particularly under her latest term beginning in 2009.
In January 2024, Hasina was elected to an unprecedented fourth term in what critics deemed a sham election. Protests erupted over government policies, eventually escalating into a wider anti-government movement. Instead of negotiating, she cracked down violently on dissent, leading to numerous arrests and complaints of police brutality. A leaked audio clip suggested she ordered the police to use lethal weapons against unarmed citizens, a claim she vehemently denied.
She fled by helicopter as opposition forces advanced on her residence after day of police violence that left at least 52 dead. Calling her trial a kangaroo court controlled by political rivals, she has remained defiant, asserting her innocence and the need for her party's re-inclusion in upcoming elections.
Born into a political dynasty—her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, being the country's father of independence—Hasina's political journey has been marked by significant achievements as well as grievous controversies. Under her leadership, Bangladesh saw substantial economic growth, with per capita income tripling in recent years, primarily through its burgeoning garment industry. Yet, her legacy is clouded with accusations of corruption, human rights violations, and the curtailment of democratic freedoms.
Emerging from a pro-democracy landscape in the 1980s, Hasina's transformation into a leader accused of autocracy highlights the complexities of political power in Bangladesh, raising questions about the future of democracy and governance in the country.
