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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

.css-rcruog{color:#C79A00;}Video | Can Bangladesh’s student movement win an election?

The student-led National Citizen Party has joined an electoral alliance with the Islamist Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party.

Not cricket? Political sticky wicket forces Bangladesh out of T20 World Cup

Bangladeshi student leaders ousted Hasina. Now their political future is unsure

Why India is losing ground over Bangladesh and Myanmar to regional rivals

Pakistan and China have been drawing closer to Bangladesh and Myanmar in areas such as defence and trade at India’s expense, analysts say.

India-Bangladesh talks over Ganges waters may turn murky over politics, UN pact

Bangladesh’s election, Hasina’s presence in India and Dhaka’s signing of the UN water convention could complicate the 1996 Ganges agreement.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Asian Angle | Bangladesh needs ‘structural’ change, but how will it get there?

As Bangladesh heads into elections next year, it must tread the challenge of political transition with more care and thoughtfulness.

‘Clear advantage’: why return of Zia’s son may influence Bangladesh’s election

The death of ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia may have boosted voter support for her son Tarique Rahman, who is contesting in the election.

Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia dies after prolonged illness

Despite her ill health, 80-year-old Zia, a dominant figure in Dhaka’s turbulent power struggles, had vowed to run in next year’s election.

Will Tarique Rahman’s return to Bangladesh ease tensions, restore stability?

Rahman could help consolidate the BNP’s position as the dominant electoral force, while tempering a volatile political climate, analysts say.

India’s partial visa suspension signals unease over Bangladesh’s recent unrest

India halted visa services from its Chittagong mission after violent protests, underscoring its concern over security and stability.

Violence erupts in Bangladesh after shot leader of youth uprising dies

Sharif Osman Hadi was attacked by assailants in Dhaka and airlifted to a hospital in the city state, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Bangladesh to airlift injured uprising leader to Singapore after shooting

Attackers shot student leader Sharif Osman Hadi shortly after a date was announced for elections, following on from last year’s uprising.

Are India and Bangladesh sidestepping Hasina’s exile to improve frayed ties?

A national security bilateral meeting and Narendra Modi’s message of support for Khaleda Zia signal that ties are on the mend.

Why a leading party in Bangladesh is facing uncertainty as election looms

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s leadership crisis threatens to undermine its advantage ahead of the February election, analysts say.

Video | Mass grave unearthed in Bangladesh

The UN says up to 1,400 people were killed in the uprising and subsequent crackdowns, forming the basis for the former prime minister’s conviction for crimes against humanity.

Bangladesh mass grave from 2024 uprising exhumed with UN support

The UN says up to 1,400 people were killed in the crackdowns, forming the basis for the former prime minister’s conviction for crimes against humanity.

UK MP Tulip Siddiq, aunt Sheikh Hasina sentenced to jail in Bangladesh land case

The former Bangladeshi prime minister, her niece and sister were convicted for illegally obtaining land in a government project.

‘Utmost inspiration’: Bangladesh ex-PM Khaleda Zia in ‘very critical’ condition

Zia was jailed for corruption in 2018 under Sheikh Hasina’s government, which also barred her from travelling abroad for medical treatment.

Bangladesh authorities uncover fugitive ex-PM Hasina’s gold stash

Authorities seized gold worth US$1.3 million from Hasina, who is under investigation for not depositing gifts into the treasury as required.

Can a single vote save Bangladesh from a return to authoritarianism?

Analysts question if the July Charter championed by Muhammad Yunus can overcome Dhaka’s ‘winner-takes-all’ political culture.

Why India extraditing Hasina to Bangladesh to face death penalty is unlikely

Analysts say the verdict adds to New Delhi’s concerns that Dhaka will slip under the influence of radical Islamists.

Malaysia-Singapore crossing brawl, climate crisis in focus: 7 Asia highlights

From a Bangladesh court sentencing Hasina to a Muslim trans woman’s secret, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Justice or chaos? Bangladesh on edge as Hasina verdict looms

The verdict on Monday could pile pressure on the interim administration as it seeks to reform the country ahead of next year’s election.

‘Judicial mockery’: Bangladesh’s Hasina slams trial as verdict nears

Former PM defends crackdown after protests ‘darkened into mob violence’ and calls trial a political hatchet job driven by her rivals.

Bangladesh political violence kills 281 since Hasina’s fall

A Dhaka-based human rights group said many people had fallen victim to extortion by political parties regardless of their financial or social standing.

Will death penalty demand for Hasina jeopardise extradition to Bangladesh?

Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam says Hasina deserves 1,400 death sentences and ‘shows no remorse for the brutality she has committed’.

Bangladesh airport fire destroys US$1 billion in garments, exports

Officials are investigating possible ‘sabotage or arson’ after the catastrophic blaze at Dhaka’s main airport cargo complex.

Bangladesh’s ex-PM Sheikh Hasina should be put to death, prosecution demands

Prosecutors allege that the fugitive ex-prime minister is responsible for the deaths of up to 1,400 people in last year’s uprising.

Video | Can Bangladesh’s student movement win an election?

Asian Angle | Bangladesh needs ‘structural’ change, but how will it get there?