Dr. Amanur Aman, Editor, The Kushtia Times/

Today is September 28, 2021; Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 75th birthday. She was born on this day in 1947 in Tungipara of Gopalganj district. The first child of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatun Nesha, Sheikh Hasina was the eldest of five siblings.

Born into a political family, Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina entered politics from adolescence. In school, college and university life, she took an active part in the anti-Ayub movement and the 6-point movement as the leader of Chhatra League, the largest student organization in East Pakistan at that time.

In these stormy days, in the interest of the imprisoned father, on November 17, 1967, Sheikh Hasina got married to the nuclear scientist Dr. M. Wazed Miah. Shortly after the marriage, the 11-point movement of the Bengali nation, the mass uprising of ’69, began. Sheikh Hasina took active part in it as the leader of Chhatra League.

On the night of March 25, 1971, when Bangabandhu was arrested by the Pakistani invaders and taken to Karachi, Bangabandhu’s entire family was kept under house arrest in Dhaka. During the war of liberation, Sheikh Hasina’s first child Sajeeb Wazed Joy was born on 27 July 1971 while under house arrest.

After winning the war of liberation, she was released along with other members of her family on 16 December 1971. Her daughter Saima Wazed Putul was born on December 9, 1972. In 1973, Sheikh Hasina graduated from Dhaka University. She was elected president of Bangladesh Awami League in the absentia in a critical juncture of the nation through the historic council session held in 1981. Sheikh Hasina returned home on May 17, 1981, ignoring the bloodshed and sanctions of the military rulers. After that, for 21 long years, there was a continuous fearless struggle against the military junta, dictatorship and misrule. Prisonment, torture, nothing could shake her to one point.

The daughter of Bangabandhu was elected Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the first time with the victory of Awami League in the June 12, 1996 parliamentary election. During her government, the historic Ganga water sharing agreement was signed with India. The Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord was executed. Bangladesh achieves food self-sufficiency. National growth exceeds 6.4 percent. Inflation came down to 1.59 percent. Poverty is reduced. Bangladesh turned around in every field including food, education, health, agriculture, sports.

The reign of Sheikh Hasina for the first time in the history of Bangladesh (1996-2001) is marked as the golden age of the post-75 era. The ninth general election was held on December 29, 2008. The Awami League alone won more than three-quarters of the seats in parliament. On January 8, 2009, Sheikh Hasina became the Prime Minister of the country for the second time. A grand alliance government was formed under the able leadership of Sheikh Hasina.  Sheikh Hasina reached a unique height of popularity as a strong foundation of unprecedented development and immense potential of Bangladesh was laid.

The Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina formed the government with a majority in the 10th parliamentary elections on 5 January 2014. After winning the Eleventh Parliamentary Election held on December 30, 2018, the government led by Sheikh Hasina is successfully running the country for the third consecutive term and for the fourth time today.

Today, the people are reaping the benefits of the steps taken by the government led by Bangabandhu daughter Sheikh Hasina. As a country of immense potential, Bangladesh is moving forward at an irresistible pace. Under the leadership of Hasina, Bangladesh has evolved from a least developed country to a developing country by overcoming all obstacles, problems, crises and challenges. Over the past decade since 2009, countless success-memorials have been added to the journey of building a prosperous Bangladesh.