'Iron Fist in Velvet Glove': Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina's Controversial Legacy

Sheikh Hasina is set to win the election even before a single vote is cast. From exile to power, this is her story.

In a Panchatantara fable, ‘The Greedy and Ambitious Cat', Vishnu Sharma wrote, "It has been the providence of Nature to give this creature [the cat] nine lives instead of one".

One would wonder what Sharma would have written if he had the chance to witness the life of Bangladesh's incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who’s set to retain power for an overall fifth term after surviving a reported 19 assassination attempts throughout her life.

Hasina – and her Awami League (AL) government – have refused to step down and appoint a caretaker government to oversee the upcoming election, a demand of the main opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies, who say that they have no faith that Hasina will hold “free and fair” elections.

Essentially, Hasina is set to win elections before a single vote is cast.

‘Her Father's Influence Was Always Present’: Early Life & Exile

The daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the man who led Bangladesh through its 1971 Liberation War, Hasina spent her early life in Tungipara in the then East Bengal, and then in Segunbagicha, when the family moved to Dhaka.

It was here that Hasina got her first taste in politics, when she became vice-president of Eden College’s Students Union in 1966-1967 and involved herself in the AL’s student wing – the Bangladesh Chhatra League.

During the military coup in 1975, Hasina’s family was targeted by a group of young armymen, who killed her mother, three brothers, and her father – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. At the time of the assassinations, Hasina, her husband Wazed Miah, and her sister, were in Europe.

Following a short refuge at the Bangladesh ambassador to then-West Germany, Hasina took up an offer of political asylum from the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, where she lived in exile along with the surviving members of her family for six years.

A source who has previously interacted with Hasina told The Quint, requesting anonymity,

“Mr Rahman’s influence was always present within Ms Hasina. She envisioned Bangladesh as her father did, but some may say that she has lost her way.”

Ziaur Rahman’s military government barred Hasina from entering Bangladesh, and it was only after that she was elected president of the AL in February 1981 that she returned to Dhaka, welcomed by an unanticipated gathering of thousands of Bangladeshis who thronged to the airport.

While Hasina and the AL took part in the 1986 general elections under martial law, imposed by the then President Hussian Muhammad Ershad, and became the leader of the parliamentary opposition, her eight-party alliance resigned a year later in hopes of calling a fresh election under a neutral government, and eventually succeeded to return Bangladesh to a parliamentary form of government in 1991.

Hasina lost the election, making the AL the largest opposition party in Bangladesh, but established herself as a dominant force in the country’s politics.

Four Controversial Terms in Office

In 1991, Bangladesh witnessed its first free general election in 16 years, which didn't grant Hasina's party a parliamentary majority. Power shifted to her opponent Khaleda Zia of the BNP.

Hasina alleged electoral dishonesty and led a boycott alongside other opposition parties, triggering turmoil and violent demonstrations.

Amidst denial of fraud allegations, pressure mounted on Zia to step down for a neutral caretaker government to oversee a new election where Hasina was elected as prime minister in June 1996.

Her initial tenure saw steady economic growth but was plagued by political unrest. The BNP's rallies and strikes, coupled with opposition boycotts, paralysed governance, but Hasina persisted and completed a full five-year term, a first since independence.

The subsequent election in 2001 was contentious; Zia's opposition alliance secured a clear victory. Despite Hasina's protests of election tampering, the outcome stood.

Amid volatile political crises and Zia's return, Hasina continued her work with the AL. In 2004, she survived a minor injury in a grenade attack at a political rally. In 2007, during a period of emergency and cancelled elections, the military-backed caretaker government arrested Hasina on extortion charges from her previous term.

She was released in 2008 as the state of emergency was lifted. The general elections held that year in December resulted in a resounding victory for Hasina and the AL against Zia and the BNP.

After winning the 2008 election with the Grand Alliance, she pledged a 'Digital Bangladesh.' However, rifts emerged; she reneged on promises and faced crises, including the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles revolt, which resulted in 56 deaths, many of whom were Bangladesh Army officers.

The 74-year-old was criticised for her refusal to intervene, and matters reached the International Criminal Court for the alleged violation of human rights.

In her third term, AL secured another landslide victory, marked by opposition boycotts and allegations of unfair conditions. This win, with many uncontested seats, sparked controversy and violence, leading to a diminished voter turnout.

Despite accusations and protests, Hasina continued her governance, forming a government with Ershad's Jatiya Party as the official opposition. But here is where matters get worse for Hasina, many of which continue to follow her.

Just like her previous terms, Hasina’s most recent stint in office following AL’s landslide win in 2019, claiming all but 12 seats in the 300-seat parliament. Instantly, the election was rejected by the opposition, calling it a “farce.” The opposition was the weakest it has been since the democratic restoration in 1991.

A former Indian diplomat told The Quint, “It is extremely strange as to why she would create such an intimidating environment for the opposition. She was slated to win the elections without applying any external pressure.”

A Transformation of Bangladesh’s Economy

Some of Hasina's economic strides in Bangladesh are commendable. The country has transitioned from struggling to feed its population to becoming a food exporter, experiencing substantial GDP growth from $71 billion in 2006 to $460 billion in 2022, securing the spot as South Asia's second-largest economy after India, according to World Bank.

Notably, social indicators have flourished, with 98% of girls now receiving primary education. Bangladesh's emergence in high-tech manufacturing has enticed global giants like Samsung to shift supply chains away from China.

These developmental successes have triggered positive societal shifts, including gender equality in education and a rising number of women in the workforce.

Her supporters also attribute to her the mitigation of the growing threat posed by Islamic militancy.

Moreover, in September 2017, the administration extended refuge to nearly a million Rohingya refugees while calling on Myanmar to halt violence against the Rohingya community – a move that garnered widespread support from the majority of the Bangladeshi populous and global acclaim as well.

Over the past decade, Bangladesh’s per capita income has tripled, with the World Bank estimating that more than 25 million citizens have risen above the poverty line in the last two decades.

Utilising a combination of domestic funds, loans, and international development aid, Hasina's government invested heavily in infrastructure. Among these projects, the $2.9 billion Padma bridge spanning the Ganges alone is anticipated to boost the country's GDP by a significant 1.23 percent.

However, Bangladesh has grappled with economic challenges following the pandemic, facing soaring living costs, and a decline in foreign reserves. Dhaka was forced to demand fiscal assistance from the International Monetary Fund after a 240 percent increase in external debt under Hasina.

Critics argue that the nation's economic strides have potentially come at the expense of democratic principles and human rights, raising concerns about the trade-off between economic advancement and fundamental freedoms.

“Ms Hasina was always an honourable, hardworking individual who cares for the Bangladeshi people, but I would describe her as an iron fist in a velvet glove,” a former Indian diplomat told The Quint, requesting anonymity.

‘Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove’: Claims of Human Rights Abuses, Suppressing Democracy

Hasina has long faced criticism of suppressing the democracy she once fought for. The last two elections have faced condemnation from the US, the European Union, and other domestic critics and rights groups due to reported irregularities in counting, overwhelmingly stuffing ballot boxes, phantom voters and questionable voter counts, resulting in victories that were 'shady’ to say the least.

The political landscape under Hasina's rule has seen a tightening grip on opposition voices. Khaleda Zia of the BNP currently faces house arrest on contested corruption charges amid a backdrop of intensified legal actions against her party members.

Moreover, critics and civil society highlight a crackdown on dissenting voices. Independent journalists and civil society members have faced harassment and restrictions, raising concerns about freedom of speech and the press, and Hasina's leadership has faced scrutiny for centralising power as well.

Hasina's administration has also faced allegations of human rights abuses, including instances of extrajudicial killings and excessive use of force by law enforcement. Moreover, concerns have been raised about the government's response to minority rights.

In the lead-up to the recent election, Hasina proudly highlighted key achievements, such as Dhaka's metro and the country's longest bridge inaugurated in 2021.

She positioned herself as the leader of a striving nation aiming to achieve upper-middle-income status by 2031. However, Bangladesh hasn't been immune to the recent global economic slowdown, revealing economic vulnerability, labour unrest and government discontentment.

For Hasina, all of this has translated to the previously mentioned 19 assassination attempts.

Out of the incidents where information is available, Hasina was the target of two assassination attempts during the rule of Hussain Muhammad Ershad, four during the 1991-96 BNP rule, four during AL's term in 1996-01, four during the BNP-Jamaat government in 2001-06, one during the military-backed caretaker government and four during AL's current tenure.

“It is not that easy to overthrow me through a democratic system. The only option is just to eliminate me. And I am ready to die for my people,” she said in an interview with TIME.