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Sheikh Hasina

The latest news and updates on Sheikh Hasina, a prominent Bangladeshi politician and daughter of the nation’s founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. She served as Prime Minister for over two decades across multiple terms (1996-2001, 2009-2024), becoming Bangladesh’s longest-serving head of government. As President of the Awami League, her leadership focused on economic development, poverty reduction, and social welfare, overseeing significant GDP growth and initiatives like the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty and the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord. Her administration also championed women’s empowerment and digital transformation. She recently resigned amidst widespread student-led protests.

Sheikh Hasina

Energy shock tests Bangladesh’s US$1 trillion economy ambitions

Surging inflation and rising prices are straining government finances as the new leadership battles to reform the country.

Bangladesh draws closer to China in ‘political chessboard’ to balance India ties

Bangladesh’s energy crisis opens door for India to mend ties

Rahman will not visit India until Hasina extradited to Bangladesh

Foreign ministry officials played down media speculation about a possible trip to India next week by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | South Asia’s Gen Z protests offer one lesson in common

From Sri Lanka and Nepal to Bangladesh and India, youth protests have shaken or even toppled governments, but creating lasting change has been more challenging.

Sheikh Hasina’s planned speech revives fresh India-Bangladesh row

The exiled former prime minister is scheduled to give a virtual address at a foreign correspondents’ club event in Delhi on Wednesday.

Can a Brics invite mark a new chapter in India-Bangladesh ties?

Analysts welcome the outreach, saying the summit will be an opportunity for both sides to work together if Rahman accepts the invitation.

Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina vows to return despite believing she ‘may be killed’

The ex-prime minister sidesteps the question of her return to politics, saying: ‘Power is not my destination. Service to the people is’.

Opinion | How China and the US are sidelining India in its own neighbourhood

India is being denied the uncontested dominance it once held. The task ahead is not to restore the old hierarchy but to find a new path.

Bangladesh president quits, leaving Hasina isolated ahead of return from exile

Mohammed Shahabuddin was pressured to step aside because of his long-standing ties to the former prime minister, sources say.

Sheikh Hasina’s return bid threatens to upend Bangladeshi politics

The ousted leader, who has been sentenced to death, plans a December homecoming in a high-stakes bid to resurrect her banned party.

India-Bangladesh ties ease with visa restart amid China concerns

Analysts say Dhaka will have to be prudent as it tries to secure Chinese investment to boost its economy while managing India’s security concerns.

Sheikh Hasina vows to return to Bangladesh ‘this year’ despite death sentence

This is the first time the former prime minister has given a schedule for her return since fleeing to India in August 2024.

Why Bangladesh’s new PM is visiting Malaysia and China before India

Analysts view the decision to prioritise Kuala Lumpur and Beijing as practical rather than a direct snub of New Delhi.

Bangladesh, India pledge closer border cooperation amid migration row

Dhaka has accused Indian authorities of attempting to ‌force migrants across the border without due process.

Policy pivot? India watchful as Bangladesh engages Pakistan

Analysts say the new government in Dhaka is trying a ‘balancing act’ in the region that could signal more businesslike ties with its neighbours.

Delivery pains hamper Bangladesh’s family planning efforts

Nearly a third of districts in one of the world’s most densely populated countries are experiencing a shortage of condoms and contraceptives.

What the BJP’s historic West Bengal victory means for Modi’s India

Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition now controls roughly 70 per cent of India’s state legislatures, giving him a historic grip on power.

A Delhi-Dhaka thaw? India opens door to Sheikh Hasina extradition talks

The former Bangladeshi leader and close Indian ally remains ‘a strategic asset for Delhi’, an analyst says.

Vaccine coverage gaps spur Bangladesh’s deadly measles outbreak

Health authorities launched an emergency vaccine campaign on Sunday, with UN agencies aiming to protect more than 1.2 million children.

India steps up regional energy diplomacy, supplies Bangladesh with diesel

Being a ‘first responder’ in the current energy crisis is in line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

Hope for India-Bangladesh reset after arrests in student leader’s killing

The development may provide an early test of bilateral cooperation following Bangladesh’s recent political transition, analysts say.

Bangladesh faces daunting post-election challenges in economy, garment sector

A key concern for Dhaka is the upgrade to developing nation status, with the key garment sector set to face stiffer competition.

Opinion | Bangladesh’s BNP could struggle to enact reforms despite election win

While the BNP’s margin of victory should help ensure stability, its roots in the old order could limit the speed and reach of reforms.

Bangladesh’s outreach to India ‘a good beginning’ for easing strained ties

Dhaka’s invitation to attend the swearing-in and Modi’s message of support show both sides are ready to turn the page, analysts say.

Bangladesh PM-to-be celebrates landslide win, thanks protesters

Prime minister-in-waiting Tarique Rahman dedicated his victory to those who ‘sacrificed for democracy’ after the first polls since a deadly 2024 uprising.

Bangladesh’s BNP set to balance ties with powers to avoid crossing ‘red line’

The party will focus on economic growth after the election while fostering cordial ties with India, Pakistan, China and the US, analysts say.

Bangladesh’s political parties campaign over revolution’s legacy

The centrist Bangladesh Nationalist Party is the front-runner, rivalling the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami and the student uprising-founded National Citizen party.

Opinion | South Asia’s Gen Z protests offer one lesson in common