President of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, from birth to the end of her term and her presidency of the country Part 3
President of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, from birth to the end of her term and her presidency of the country Part 3
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00:00A brief about the stages of the President of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, from birth to
00:08the end of her term and her presidency of the country.
00:12Part 3 On November 6, 2008, Hasina returned to Bangladesh
00:18to contest the 2008 general election scheduled for December 29.
00:24She decided to participate in the parliamentary election under the banner of the Grand Alliance
00:28with the Jatiya Party, led by Hussain Mohammad Ershad, as its main partner.
00:33On December 11, 2008, Hasina formally announced her party's election manifesto during a
00:38news conference and vowed to build a digital Bangladesh by 2021.
00:43The AL manifesto was entitled A Charter for Change and included the party's commitment
00:48to Vision 2021.
00:50The manifesto included pledges to implement measures to reduce price hikes, combat corruption
00:55by strengthening the independent ACC and submission of annual wealth statements by
00:59influential people, introduction of a long-term policy towards
01:03power and energy increasing power generation to 7000 MW by 2013, bringing vibrancy to the
01:11agriculture sector and extending the safety net to the poor, creating good governance
01:16and curtailing terrorism and religious extremism, prosecution of 1971 war criminals, ensuring
01:23an independent and impartial judiciary reforming the electoral system strengthening the Human
01:28Rights Commission and depoliticizing the administration.
01:32Herawami League and the Grand Alliance a total of 14 parties won the 2008 general election
01:37with a two-thirds majority, having won 230 out of 299 seats.
01:43Khalida Zia, leader of the BNP-led coalition, for Party Alliance, rejected the results of
01:48the election by accusing the chief election commissioner of stage-managing the parliamentary
01:52election.
01:54Hasina was sworn into office as prime minister for a second term on January 6, 2009.
02:01Independent observers declared that the elections were held in a festive and peaceful atmosphere.
02:07After being elected prime minister, Hasina reneged on her agreement with the Jatiya Party
02:11to make Irshad, its leader, the president.
02:15Hasina removed Awami League's central committee members who supported reforms forced by the
02:19previous caretaker government.
02:22She had to confront a major national crisis in the form of the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles
02:26revolt over a pay dispute, which resulted in 56 deaths, including Bangladesh army officers.
02:33Hasina was blamed by the army officers due to her refusal to intervene against the revolt.
02:38However, in 2009, a recording emerged of Hasina's private meeting with army officers, who expressed
02:44their anger with how she had not reacted more decisively in the revolt's early stages by
02:49ordering an armed raid of the BDR Rifles compound.
02:53They believed that her efforts to appease the revolt's leaders delayed needed action
02:56which led to more deaths.
02:59In a 2011 The Daily Star editorial, she was commended for her sagacious handling of the
03:04situation which resulted in the prevention of a further bloodbath.
03:08In 2011, the parliament removed the law that required non-party caretaker government hold
03:13elections.
03:15In 2012, she maintained a hardline stance and refused to allow entry to Rohingya refugees
03:20fleeing Myanmar during the 2012 Rakhine state riots.
03:24On June 27, 2013, a case against Hasina and 24 other Bangladeshi ministers and security
03:30personnel was lodged at the International Criminal Court, ICC, for the alleged violation
03:35of human rights.
03:37She has been credited internationally for the achievement of some of the United Nations'
03:41Millennium Development Goals.
03:44In 2012 a coup attempt against her by mid-ranking army officers was stopped, with the Bangladesh
03:49Army being tipped off by an Indian intelligence agency.
03:53The Bangladesh Army described the army officers involved as being Islamist extremists.
03:59In 2012, she had a falling out with Muhammad Yunus, Nobel laureate and founder of Grameen
04:04Bank, following a Norwegian documentary that was critical of Yunus's transferring of money
04:09from Grameen Bank to an affiliate organization.
04:12Yunus transferred the money back after the documentary aired but it increased scrutiny
04:16of the bank by the government and media in Bangladesh.
04:20Yunus lost control of his bank following a court verdict.
04:24He criticized Hasina and other Bangladeshi politicians.
04:28She responded by saying she did not understand why Yunus blamed her when it was a court verdict
04:33that removed him from Grameen Bank.
04:36During this term, her government led and succeeded in forming the International Crimes Tribunal
04:40to investigate and prosecute suspects involved in the Bangladesh genocide, committed by the
04:45Pakistan Army and their local collaborators, razakers, al-Badr and al-Shams during the
04:49Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.
04:53Hasina secured a second consecutive term in office with her ruling Awami League and its
04:57Grand Alliance allies, winning the 2014 general election by a landslide.
05:03The election was boycotted by leading opposition parties due to unfair conditions and a lack
05:07of non-partisan administration to conduct elections.
05:11As a result, the AL-led Grand Alliance won 267 seats out of which 153 were uncontested,
05:18surpassing its 2008 poll success when it secured 263 parliamentary seats.
05:24Sheikh Hasina's Awami League has run Bangladesh since 2009 and won 288 seats in this election.
05:32One of the leading opposition parties accused it of using stuffed ballot boxes.
05:37The election was boycotted by major opposition parties including the BNP.
05:42The election was controversial, with reports of violence and an alleged crackdown on the
05:46opposition in the run-up to the election.
05:50In the election 153 seats, of 300, went uncontested, of which the Awami League won 127 by default.
05:59Hasina's Awami League won a safe parliamentary majority with a total of 234 seats.
06:05As a result of the boycott and violence, voter turnout was lower than the previous
06:09few elections at only 51%.
06:13The day after the result, Hasina said that the boycott should not mean there will be
06:17a question of legitimacy.
06:19People participated in the poll and other parties participated.
06:24Despite the controversy Hasina went on to form a government with Irshad's Jatiya Party,
06:28who won 34 seats, as the official opposition.
06:32The BNP wanted the elections to be held under a neutral caretaker government and had hoped
06:36to use protests to force the government to do so.
06:40The period also saw increasing attacks by Islamic extremists in the country, including
06:45the July 2016 Dhaka attack which has been described as deadliest Islamist attack in
06:49Bangladeshi history by BBC.
06:52According to experts, the Hasina-led government's repression of political opposition as well
06:57as shrinking democratic and civic space has created the space for extremist groups to
07:01flourish and has generated a violent backlash from Islamist groups.
07:05In March 2017, Bangladesh's first two submarines were commissioned.
07:11In September 2017, Hasina's government granted refuge and aid to around a million Rohingya
07:16refugees and urged Myanmar to end violence against the Rohingya community.
07:21The majority of the Bangladeshi people supported the government's decision to provide refugee
07:26status to the Rohingya.
07:29Hasina received credit and praise for her actions.
07:33Hasina supported calls to remove the Statue of Justice in front of the Supreme Court.
07:38This was seen as the government bowing down to the pressure of those who use religion
07:41for political ends.
07:44Hasina is a patron of the Asian University for Women, led by Chancellor Cherie Blair,
07:48and including the First Lady of Japan, Akiyeb, as well as Irina Bakova, the Director-General
07:54of UNESCO.
07:56Hasina won her third consecutive term, her fourth overall, when Hirawami League won 288
08:02of the 300 parliamentary seats.
08:05The leader of the main opposition alliance, Kamal Hossein, declared the vote farcical
08:09and rejected the results.
08:12Before the election, Human Rights Watch and other rights organizations had accused the
08:16government of creating an intimidating environment for the opposition.
08:20The New York Times editorial board described the election as farcical, the editorial stated
08:25that it was likely Hasina would have won without vote-rigging and questioned why she
08:28did so.
08:30The BNP, the main opposition party that has been out of power for 12 years and boycotted
08:35the 2014 general election, fared extremely poorly.
08:39Winning only eight seats, the party and its Jatiya Oikya Front alliance have been marginalized
08:44to the weakest opposition ever since Bangladesh's poster-shed democratic restoration in 1991.
08:50In May 2021, Hasina provided the inaugural address for the opening of a new headquarters
08:55for the Bangladesh Post Office, named the Dakbaban.
09:00In her address, Hasina urged for further development of the postal service in response to the COVID-19
09:05pandemic in Bangladesh.
09:08Developmental measures outlined in the address include continuing the service's digital
09:12transformation and the construction of cooling units in postal warehouses to pave the way
09:16for the sending of perishable food by mail.
09:20In January 2022, the government passed a law on the Jatiya Sangsat establishing the Universal
09:25Pension Scheme.
09:27All Bangladeshi citizens, including expatriates, between 18 and 60 years old are eligible to
09:32receive a monthly stipend under the scheme.
09:36By the end of fiscal year 2021-22, Bangladesh's external debt reached $95.86 billion, a 238
09:44percent increase from 2011.
09:47The period is also marked by massive irregularities in the banking sector of the country where
09:51the amount of default loans went from less than 23,000 Bangladeshi takas crore 2.0 billion
09:57US dollars in 2009 to more than 250,000 Bangladeshi takas crore, 21 billion US dollars, in 2019
10:06according to IMF.
10:08In July 2022, the Finance Ministry requested fiscal assistance from the International Monetary
10:14Fund.
10:16The government cited depleting foreign exchange reserves as a result of the sanctions in response
10:20to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
10:23A staff-level agreement was reached in November 2022 and in January 2023, the IMF agreed to
10:29supply a support program totaling US$4.7 billion, consisting of US$3.3 billion under the Extended
10:37Credit Facility and US$1.4 billion under the new Resilience and Sustainability Facility.
10:44The IMF-stated support package will help preserve macroeconomic stability, protect
10:49the vulnerable and foster inclusive and green growth.
10:53In December 2022, anti-government protests broke out, linked to the rising costs, demanding
10:58the resignation of the Prime Minister.
11:01On December 28, Hacena opened the first phase of Dhaka Metro Rail, the country's first
11:06mass rapid transit system from Uttara to Agargan.
11:10During the 2023 G20 New Delhi Summit, Hacena had a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime
11:15Minister Narendra Modi to discuss diversifying India-Bangladesh cooperation, including areas
11:20like connectivity and commercial linkages.
11:24She was accompanied by her daughter Sima Waised, who is a candidate for a WHO election.
11:29The summit also provided an opportunity for Hacena to meet other global leaders and strengthen
11:33Bangladesh's bilateral ties.
11:36In January 2024 Hacena won her fourth consecutive term when her party, the Awami League, won
11:42224 of the 300 parliamentary seats amidst a low voter turnout in an election boycotted
11:47by the main opposition.
11:50In May 2024, Sheikh Hacena claimed that a white country was plotting to topple her government
11:55and claimed that she would be promised trouble-free elections in January if she allowed a white
11:59country to set up an airbase in Bangladesh.
12:03He also alleged that there was a conspiracy to create a Christian country on the lines
12:07of East Timor in Myanmar.
12:09In July 2024, protests broke out in support of reforming the quota system.
12:15In response, Hacena stated in a press conference,
12:18If the grandchildren of freedom fighters don't get quota benefits, will those then go to
12:23the grandchildren of the razzakars?
12:26That's my question to the countrymen.
12:29Protestors interpreted this as her referring to them as razzakars and adopted the title
12:33in some of their slogans.
12:35The protests later turned violent, involving police, the armed forces, and members of the
12:40Awami League, Chhatra League, and Jubo League, resulting in over 200 deaths and more than
12:4520,000 injuries.
12:47The government then shut down internet access for all non-essential purposes, conducted
12:51a massive crackdown on protestors with the help of the armed forces, and imposed a curfew
12:56that lasted five days.
12:58The Supreme Court agreed to reform the quota system, but the protestors then demanded justice
13:03for those killed during the demonstrations and an official apology from Hacena and the
13:07resignation of certain ministers they believed were responsible for inciting violence.
13:12On August 3, the protest organizers issued a single demand and announced a non-cooperation
13:17movement, alling for the resignation of Hacena and her entire cabinet.
13:22Hacena resigned on August 5, 2024, as large crowds of demonstrators surrounded the prime
13:27minister's residence.
13:29Her resignation was announced by Waqar-u-Zizaman, the chief of the army staff.
13:35Later that day, Hacena fled to India in a chaotic departure, first by car, then by helicopter,
13:41and finally by plane.
13:43She left no written resignation letter and gave no resignation speech.
13:47Hacena reportedly flew on a Bangladesh Air Force C-130 transport to Hindon Air Force
13:52Base in Ghaziabad, India, where she was received by the Indian National Security Advisor Ajit
13:57Doval along with other senior military officials.
14:01Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar told the parliament, at very short notice, she
14:06requested approval to come for the moment to India.
14:09Her son, Sajib Waised, initially said that she would not return to politics and planned
14:13to stay in Delhi for a little while before her next destination, but subsequently said
14:17on August 7 that she and the Awami League would remain active in the Bangladeshi political
14:22scene, and that she would return to the country once elections were declared.
14:28He also insisted that Sheikh Hacena was still the prime minister, saying that she was unable
14:32to formally submit her resignation after being forced to flee from the protesters.
14:37Hacena had hoped to go to London, but the United Kingdom reportedly rebuffed initial
14:41overtures seeking political asylum.
14:44She reportedly considered seeking temporary residence in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi
14:49Arabia, Belarus, or Qatar.
14:52Because her nephew lives in Finland, that country was speculated as a possible destination.
14:58Although Sajib Waised lives in the US, she is considered unlikely to seek asylum there,
15:03as the US government criticized her rule in Bangladesh.
15:07Hacena was living in a secret location in India under tight security as of August 2024.
15:13Sajib Waised said that the protests which led to her resignation had support from a
15:17foreign intelligence agency, without naming any country.
15:21In a statement published in the Indian media on August 11, she has accused the United States
15:26of influencing her resignation, and previously accused the United States of conspiring to
15:31oust her in the Bangladeshi parliament.
15:33However, Waised called the statement false and fabricated, and said Hacena did not give
15:38any statement before or after leaving Dhaka.
15:41The White House also denied allegations of US involvement.
15:46On August 13, 2024, a murder complaint was filed at a court in Dhaka against Sheikh
15:51Hacena and six other government officials, including former Home Minister Asaduzaman
15:56Khan and former Transport and Bridges Minister and concurrent Awami League Secretary General
16:00Obaidul Quader.
16:02Regarding the killing of a grocer during the quota reform protests on July 19.
16:08The Padma Bridge graft scandal involved the ruling Awami League government that allegedly
16:12sought, in exchange for the awarding of the construction contract, a large amount of
16:16money from the Canadian construction company SNC-Lavalin.
16:20The allegations were subsequently found to be false and without merit, and a Canadian
16:24court subsequently dismissed the case.
16:27As a result of the allegations, the World Bank pulled out of a project to provide funding
16:31for the Padma Bridge, citing corruption concerns, cancelling 10,241.346 Bangladeshi Takas crore
16:39or US$870 million of credit for the 6-kilometre-long, 3.7-miles, road-rail bridge over the Padma
16:46River.
16:48One of the individuals implicated was Minister of Communications Syed Abul Hossain who subsequently
16:53resigned and was later acquitted of any wrongdoing.
16:57On July 11, 2012, BNP General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the Awami League
17:02government should make public a letter sent by the World Bank, wherein the bank brought
17:06graft charges against Hasina and three other figures.
17:10On January 17, 2016, Hasina stated that a managing director of a bank in the United
17:16States provoked the World Bank to cancel the loan.
17:19The bridge was eventually constructed with the government's own funds and was inaugurated
17:23in June 2022 at a cost of 30,193.39 Bangladeshi Takas crore, US$2.6 billion, much higher than
17:32the original projected cost of 10,161.75 Bangladeshi Takas crore, US$860 million.
17:41On January 24, 2017, in a speech in Parliament, Prime Minister Hasina blamed Mohammed Yunus
17:48for the World Bank's pulling out of the project.
17:51According to her, Yunus lobbied with the former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
17:56to persuade the World Bank to terminate the loan.
17:59On February 10, 2017, a justice of the Superior Court of Ontario dismissed the bribery conspiracy
18:05case for lack of any evidence.
18:08In 2018, Hasina's government passed the controversial Digital Security Act, 2018, under which any
18:14criticism deemed inappropriate by the government over the Internet or any other media could
18:19be punished by prison terms of various degrees.
18:23This was heavily criticized both domestically and internationally for suppressing people's
18:27freedom of speech, as well as undermining press freedom in Bangladesh.
18:32In December 2022, the Hasina government ordered the closure of 191 websites accused of publishing
18:38anti-state news citing intelligence reports.
18:41Dhaka district authorities ordered the closure of Dynak Dinkal, which is owned by Tariq Rahman
18:46of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP.
18:50Dynak Dinkal appealed the order to the Bangladesh Press Council who dismissed their appeal in
18:54February 2022, resulting in its closure.
18:58The move has been criticized by government opponents who claim the move is an attempt
19:02to stifle opposition to the government.
19:05The government claimed Dynak Dinkal violated Articles 10, 11, 16, 21, 1, 2 of the Printing
19:11Presses and Publications, Declaration and Registration Act, 1973 as it had irregular
19:17publication and its publisher was a convicted felon.
19:21In June 2024, Sheikh Hasina paid a state visit to New Delhi, during which Bangladesh
19:26and India signed 10 bilateral agreements, including one on allowing India a rail corridor
19:30to its northeastern states through Bangladeshi territory.
19:34This led to widespread criticism in Bangladesh on the issue of the country's sovereignty,
19:39accusing Hasina of selling the country to India.
19:42In 1968, Hasina married M. I. Waisdmiya, 1942-2009, a Bangladeshi physicist, writer, and chairman
19:50of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.
19:53They have a son, Sajib Waisd, and a daughter, Saima Waisd.
19:57Saima's father-in-law is a former Minister of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment
20:02in LGRD, Khandaker Mosharaf Hossain.
20:06Hasina's only living sibling, Sheikh Rehana, served as the advisor of Tunjipura Upjala
20:11Unit Awami League in Gopalganj in 2017.
20:15Hasina's niece, and Sheikh Rehana's daughter, is Tulip Siddiq, a British Labour Party politician
20:21and elected Member of Parliament and city minister.
20:24During her political career, Sheikh Hasina has survived a total of 19 assassination attempts.
20:30She suffers from a hearing impairment as a result of injuries sustained during the 2004
20:35Granad attack.
20:36Given the violent history of brutal assassination of Sheikh Mujib family in 1975,
20:43and later attempts to assassinate Sheikh Hasina and very high security risk towards the immediate
20:47Mujib family members, in 2015, she and her children were given lifelong protection by
20:52the Government of Bangladesh through the Special Security Force.
20:56Practice of extending such security protection is not rare for persons with high security
21:01risk to their lives.
21:03The government also announced free utility for life for her and her family.
21:09I stop at this point today.
21:11I hope I added something to you.
21:14I hope you enjoyed the last few minutes.
21:19We will meet with you soon.