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The rise and fall of Sheikh Hasina
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The India-friendly Awami League leader, who rose to power after staging mass protests, first against the military dictatorship and then against the BNP regime, brought progress to Bangladesh but also stifled her political opposition through authoritarian measures
Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gestures while speaking to the media, a day after she won the 12th parliamentary elections, in Dhaka on January 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP
The story so far: Bangladesh’s longest-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned from her post and fled to India on Monday as anti-quota protests by students rocking her nation reached a pinnacle. An interim government is being formed under the leadership of the Army and other political parties.
In scenes similar to the toppling of the Rajapaksa regime in Sri Lanka, thousands of protestors have taken over the official prime ministerial residence. Ms. Hasina’s government has come under fire for its killing of over 300 people, mostly protestors since last month, who have been demanding an end to the quota system for jobs.
The mass agitation against Sheikh Hasina, who won her last three elections almost unopposed, sprung in June after the Bangladesh High Court nullified Ms. Hasina’s executive order that had dissolved all quotas in the civil services. Bangladeshi students, who have been demanding an end to the 30% quota in jobs for freedom fighters and their descendants, were upset with the court’s order and took to the streets.
Amid nationwide protests, the appellate division of the Supreme Court set aside the High Court’s order, allocating 93% of the seats in government services on merit and limiting reservation for freedom fighters and their descendants to mere 5%. However, protests continued.
The police’s brutal crackdown on the protestors, killing over 300 people, further angered the students. Inspite of repeated offers of negotiations by Ms. Hasina, students stuck to their demand – Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
From job quota to Sheikh Hasina’s resignation: Timeline of the Bangladesh student protests
Here’s a look at how Sheikh Hasina’s rise and fall
1988: Joins hands Zia to overthrow military regime
The Bangladesh Army, which had been ruling the nation since 1975, held an ‘election’ under martial law in 1988, electing President Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Joining hands with Bangladesh National Party (BNP), led by Khaleda Zia, Ziaur Rahman’s widow, Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League (AL) launched a massive protest demanding free and fair elections, forcing Mr. Ershad to resign in late 1990.
1991: Establishes parliamentary system in Bangladesh
The acting President Shahabuddin Ahmed was tasked with conducting ‘free and fair’ elections on February 27, 1991. The ‘Jatiya Sangsad’ (national parliament) which was elected in that election was truly ‘neutral’ as the BNP eeked a slim majority winning 141 of the 300 directly-elected parliamentary seats, followed by AL which won 88 seats. With Ms. Zia sworn in as Bangladesh’s first woman Prime Minister, Ms. Hasina took up the mantle of Leader of Opposition (LoP) for the second time. In an effort to set up democratic system, the Jatiya Sangsad passed the twelfth amendment followed by a constitutional referendum which established a parliamentary system in Bangladesh.
Under this law, a House of directly-elected representatives, a council of ministers headed by the Prime Minister accountable to the Jatiya Sangsad, a constitutional head of state (President) to be voted by the Jatiya Sangsad and an independent judiciary had been established.
1994-96: Leads anti-government protests, institutes ‘neutral caretaker government’ system
In 1994, the Opposition led by Ms. Hasina had resigned accusing the Zia government of widespread corruption and rigging by-elections. This led to many seats lying vacant in the parliament. After boycotting the scheduled general elections in February 1996, Sheikh Hasina demanded Ms. Zia’s resignation and formation of a ‘neutral caretaker government’ to conduct fair elections. The February 1996 elections, which saw the lowest voter turnout of 21%, led to a BNP victory and Ms. Zia’s second term.
Amid growing demands for fresh elections, the newly-elected Zia government agreed to Ms. Hasina’s demand and passed the thirteenth Amendment to the constitution, allowing the formation of a neutral caretaker government to allow peaceful transfer of power and provide fair level-playing field to all political parties in elections. After a short, twelve-day term, Ms. Zia resigned and handed over power to a caretaker government headed by former Chief Justice Mohammad Habibur Rahman.
1996: Wins her first term as PM
The elections held in June 1996, awarded a thumping victory to AL which won 146 of the 300 seats, followed by BNP which won 116 seats and the Jatiya National Party (JP) led by the then-incarcerated Mr. Ershad won 32 seats. Striking an unlikely coalition with the former military chief, Ms. Hasina was sworn-in as Prime Minister, ushering in her first term.
Under her leadership, Bangladesh took a secular, democratic and progressive turn. In her first term, the 30-year Ganga Water Sharing Agreement with India was finalised, peace treaty with the Parbattyo Chattogram Jana Samhati (political party representing tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tract) and completed construction of the Bangabandhu Bridge over the Padma river. She also expanded implemented several social schemes for farmers, widows, freedom fighters, homeless and landless workers.
2007-2008: Stalemate over caretaker PM, faces arrest
After losing the 2001 elections to BNP, Ms. Hasina was again voted as LoP. In 2006, when elections were scheduled, BNP and AL failed to agree on a candidate to head the caretaker government. Ending the stalemate, President Iajuddin Ahmed declared himself as caretaker PM and announced elections to be held in January 2007.
The AL withdrew from the polls alleging corruption, bias towards the BNP, leading to Mr. Ahmed declaring a state of emergency, placing Bangladesh once again under military rule. The military-backed government charged both Ms. Hasina and Ms. Zia with graft and extortion and later briefly arrested them.
2008: Wins her second term as PM
Bolstered by her massive anti-government movement, the military-backed caretaker government’s attempts to snuff out politics in Bangladesh, Ms. Hasina won a thumping majority in the elections held in December 2008. With a record voter turnout of 80%, the AL-led ‘Grand alliance’ of fifteen parties won 263 of the 300 seats with AL alone winning 230 seats.
2009-13: Deepens ties with India, scraps caretaker government law
In her second term, Ms. Hasina deepened ties with India, reaching an in-principle agreement on Teesta water sharing and kicked off negotiations for the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) with India. Domestically, Bangladesh’s GDP rose to 6%, over 5 crore citizens rose from poverty, digital expansion and farmers received agri-cards and easy access to bank accounts.
The AL-led parliament also unanimously passed the fifteenth amendment which added nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism as fundamental policies of Bangladesh’s constitution, acknowledged Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Father of the Nation, abolished referendums, limited state of emergencies to 120 days and barred those convicted of crimes during the 1971 war from contesting elections.
Stirring another political upheaval, the Supreme Court’s appellate division had declared the 13th Amendment ‘prospectively’ void in May 2011. The fifteenth amendment ratified this order by scrapping the thirteenth amendment, ending the constitutional need for transferring power to a ‘neutral caretaker government’. Ms. Hasina also began her crackdown on extremists, especially those involved in genocide during the 1971 liberation war. In December 2013, Abdul Quader Mollah, a terrorist convicted of murdering several Bangladeshi freedom fighters was hanged.
2014: Cracks down on Opposition
Ahead of the elections in January 2014, Ms. Zia was put under house arrest, leading to most Opposition parties boycotting the polls. Without the need of a caretaker government, Ms. Hasina retained power, winning 234 seats in an election witnessing only 22% voter turnout.
2014-18: Hangs 1971 terrorists, expands social schemes in third term
Under her third term (2014-19), Ms. Hasina continued to crackdown on extremists, hanging many leaders such as Motiur Rahman Nizami and Mir Quasem Ali of Jamaat-e-Islami. She further continued expanding social schemes in Bangladesh, decreasing poverty rate to 22.4%, raising per capita income to $1,602. She also finalised the LBA, ending a 68-year-long border dispute with India and raised Bangladesh’s forex reserves to over $ 32 billion.
2018-2024: Further incarceration of Opposition, unopposed fourth term win
Ahead of the 2018 polls, Ms. Hasina’s prime opponent Ms. Zia was sentenced to a five-year jail term in a corruption case, which was later extended to ten years. She was barred from contesting polls due to this conviction and Ms. Hasina fought for re-election, virtually unopposed.
With the introduction of electronic voting in Bangladesh, the 2018 polls was marred with rigging accusations, voter suppression and rampant violence against Opposition members. The Sheikh Hasina government also shut off internet in the run upto the elections, attracting criticism from independent poll watchers. Ms. Hasina won another landslide election, winning more than 90% of the seats.
In 2020, Ms. Zia was released conditionally from jail for six months. With her health deteriorating, she has since then gotten multiple extensions and remains under house arrest.
2024 onwards: Wins fifth term virtually unopposed, faces mass protests
In the run up to the polls held in January, BNP once again boycotted the polls, insisting transfer of power to a ‘neutral caretaker government’. With most international poll-watchers deeming the elections as rigged, Ms. Hasina remained steadfast in her policy to hold polls under her regime, inviting observers and diplomats to witness a fair contest.
Implementing mass arrests of her remaining opposition members and a lack of clear successor, Ms. Hasina won a fifth term as Prime Minister in a virtual one-party contest. Inspite of many infrastructural achievements like the completed Padma bridge, a slew of airports and roads and her decision to abolish all quotas (including the freedom fighters’ one), Ms. Hasina has faced many protests due to her stifling of Opposition voices.
A Bangladesh ‘one-party state’ and India’s options
The recent students protest, triggered by the High Court’s order to restore quotas, has been a thorn on her side since she took oath in January. Amid speculations that Ms. Hasina would restore 30% quota for descendants of freedom fighters, students took to streets demanding abolishing that quota and basic reform of reservation system, which eventually snowballed into a demand for her resignation. With yet another caretaker government in place, it is unclear what will be the political fate of Bangladesh’s longest-serving PM, currently In India, reportedly seeking asylum in the United Kingdom.
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