Bangladesh, to the east of India on the Bay of Bengal, is a South Asian country marked by lush greenery and many waterways. Bangladesh is the eighth most populous country in the world and one of the biggest democratic countries. The government in Bangladesh always has a major impact on world politics. For, many years Sheikh Hasina has served the country, and this time again, Sheikh Hasina won the election so there is not much change in Bangladesh’s politics.
The general elections took place in Bangladesh on 7 January 2024, by the constitutional requirement, stating that elections must take place within 90 days before the expiration of the current term of the Jatiya Sangshad on 29 January 2024.
The Awami League, led by incumbent Sheikh Hasina won the election for the fourth consecutive time with only around 40% of the eligible voters voting.
Bangladesh Election 2024 Results: How to check LIVE counting of votes – Sheikh Hasina poised to win?https://t.co/K0mu26s57L
— ET NOW (@ETNOWlive) January 7, 2024
Sheikh Hasina won the election 2024 in Bangladesh
In the lead-up to the election, the incumbent government led by Sheikh Hasina cracked down on opposition parties and silenced critics of the government. Hasina’s prime ministership has been described as authoritarian since being re-elected in 2008, and in 2011 removed the requirement that a temporary independent caretaker government be formed to hold elections. The main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, boycotted the elections (similar to in 2014) as they assumed that the election commission under the incumbent government was unable to organize a free and fair election.
A protest over the turnout in the election emerged as the Chief Election Commissioner, based on the data in his hand initially claimed that the turnout was 28% but later retracted from that to claim the turnout to be around 40%
Sheikh Hasina is the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been in office since January 6, 2009, serving as the head of the government. Sheikh Hasina is the leader of the Awami League, a prominent political party in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won the re-election for a fifth term in the national election that were conducted on Sunday amidst the boycott by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former PM Khaleda Zia, who is currently in jail.
Sheikh Hasina’s party Awami League has won a fourth consecutive term in the 12th parliamentary election, marking the second lowest voter turnout since the reinstatement of democracy in 1991.
India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma during his call to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina conveyed, on behalf of the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, warm greetings and congratulations to her on her election victory. He expressed hope that during the new term of her government, there will be even stronger momentum and growth in the bilateral partnership in support of each other’s national development.
#WATCH | Dhaka: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaks to ANI, she says “India is a great friend of Bangladesh. They have supported us in 1971 and 1975. We consider India as our next-door neighbour. I really appreciate that we have a wonderful relationship with India. In… pic.twitter.com/mfRBbBsb4p
— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2024
Who is Sheikh Hasina?
Hasina was born on 28 September 1947 to the Bengali Muslim Sheikh family of Tungipara in East Bengal. Her father was Bengali nationalist leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and her mother was Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib.
Sheikh Hasina attended primary school in her village of Tungipara. When her family moved to Dhaka, she attended the Azimpur Girls School. She enrolled for a bachelor’s degree at Eden College. She was elected as the Vice President of the Students Union in Eden College between 1966 and 1967. In 1967, Hasina married M. A. Wazed Miah, who was a Bengali nuclear scientist with a doctorate in physics from Durham. Hasina studied Bengali literature at Dhaka University, from where she graduated in 1973.
Except for her husband, children and sister Sheikh Rehana, Hasina’s entire family was murdered during the 15 August 1975 Bangladeshi war which saw the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Hasina, Wazed and Rehana were visiting Europe at the time of the assassination.
They took refuge in the house of the Bangladeshi ambassador to West Germany; before taking up an offer of political asylum from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India. The surviving members of the family lived in exile in New Delhi, India for six years. Hasina was barred from entering Bangladesh by the military government of Ziaur Rahman. After she was elected President of the Awami League on 16 February 1981, Hasina returned home on 17 May 1981 and received a welcome from thousands of Awami League supporters.
Since then, she is serving the country and now again she got a chance to work for the welfare of Bangladesh fifth time by winning Bangladesh election 2024.