Celebrating birthday of Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina

Sheikh Hasina is working tirelessly to build Sonar Bangla, overcoming hundreds of obstacles. She did not give up, despite coming back from the face of death again and again. Under its visionary leadership, Bangladesh broke through the web of conspiracy and is a role model for development in the world today. Her own party, the Awami League, and government have become without alternatives. Sheikh Hasina is such a leader who is a symbol of trust for all in the face of hundreds of problems, obstacles, and setbacks. According to Awami League leaders, we have Sheikh Hasina. We have no reason to worry. Today is the 77th birthday of Sheikh Hasina, the symbol of that trust. She was born on September 28, 1947, in Tungipara, near the Madhumati River in Gopalganj.

She is the eldest daughter of the great architect of independent Bangladesh, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnessa, and the president of the Bangladesh Awami League. This change in Bangladesh has occurred in just 52 years of independence. We think that the progress of this changing Bangladesh has been possible due to the strong leadership of the patriot Sheikh Hasina.

Where is Sheikh Hasina? Bangabandhu's daughter is at the forefront of the Bangladesh that stands tall today, from all over Bengal to the World Assembly. Her contribution as a successful statesman is recognised internationally today. Pure patriotism, foresight, a strong mentality, and human qualities have made her sit in the seat of world leadership. Today, she is the symbol of Bengali national unity and the safe haven of all hopes for the Bengali nation.

All the great achievements of the post-1975 Bengali nation have been achieved under the leadership of public leader Sheikh Hasina. Sheikh Hasina's leadership is one of the outstanding achievements of Bangladesh's 52 years of independence. And under the leadership of People's Leader Sheikh Hasina, there has been great success in sustainable economic growth, food self-sufficiency, women's empowerment, agriculture, education, health, rural infrastructure, communication, energy and electricity, trade, ICT, and SME sectors.

She has achieved incredible success in many areas of national life, including the trial of war criminals, the prevention of militancy, the trial of self-confessed murderers in Bangabandhu, the implementation of the historical peace agreement of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and the recognition of International Mother Language Day on February 21.

Along with the continuous development of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina has many achievements. She has received many international awards and medals. The number of international awards given to Sheikh Hasina is also large. The Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunisation (GAVI) awarded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina the 'Vaccine Hero' award on September 23, 2019 for Bangladesh's success in immunisation programs. In the same month, Dr. Sheikh Hasina Kalam Smriti International Excellence Award Medal. Before this, some famous universities and institutes around the world gave medals to the Prime Minister for playing an important role in establishing peace, promoting democracy, and fostering socio-economic development.

The Prime Minister received the IPS International Achievement Award and Special Distinction Award for Leadership in 2018 for her visionary leadership on the Rohingya issue, responsible policies, and humanitarianism in providing shelter to Rohingyas.

This leader, a visionary advocate of building digital Bangladesh, organised the party after taking the leadership of the Awami League in 1981 through a long movement and struggle and won the elections for the first time in 1996, the second in 2008, the third in 2014, and the fourth in 2018 to place the party in the leadership seat. 

The beloved granddaughter of grandfather Sheikh Lutfar Rahman and grandmother Sahera Khatun, Sheikh Hasina spent her childhood and youth in Tungipara. They are five brothers and sisters, including Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal, Sheikh Rehana, and Sheikh Russell. Currently, nobody is alive except Sheikh Hasina and Rehana. On the night of August 15, 1975, all, including father Bangabandhu and mother Fazilatunnecha, were killed by the merciless bullets of the assassins.

Sheikh Hasina's education began at a school in Tungipara. In the 1954 elections, Bangabandhu was elected as a member of the Provincial Council and brought her family to Dhaka. Then they moved to a rented house on Rajni Bose Lane in old Dhaka.

When Bangabandhu became a member of the United Front Cabinet, the family started living in house number 3, Mintu Road. Sheikh Hasina was admitted to the Tikatuli Women's Education Temple in Dhaka city. This educational institution is now known as Sherebangla Girls School and College. Her city bus turn begins.

She passed her secondary from Azimpur Girls' School in 1965 and her higher secondary from Intermediate Girls' College (now Badrunnessa Govt. Mahila Mahavidyalaya) in 1967. In the same year, he was admitted to Dhaka University with honours in Bengali language and literature and received his bachelor's degree in 1973.

While studying at Sheikh Hasina Intermediate Girls College, she was elected vice president of the student council. She was a member of the Dhaka University Chhatra League and the general secretary of the Rokeya Hall branch. As a leader of the Chhatra League, she actively participated in the anti-Ayub movement and the 6-point movement.

In 1966, Bangabandhu raised an unprecedented national awakening in East Bengal due to the 6-point demand. The ruling group got scared and arrested Bangabandhu. Severe repression began. The Agartala Conspiracy Case was filed by the Pakistani ruling group against Bangabandhu while in detention. Her life and family are in deep danger and suffering.

On July 27, 1971, Sheikh Hasina became the mother of her first child, Joy, under house arrest during the liberation war in besieged Bangladesh. On December 9, 1972, her daughter Puthul was born.

Before Bangabandhu's family was killed in 1975, Sheikh Hasina went to Europe with her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana. While staying there, he got the news of Bangabandhu's death from her family. As there was no way to return home immediately, she left Europe and took political asylum in India with her husband and children.

The subsequent history of Sheikh Hasina is the history of how she became the backbone of the Bengali nation in the twenty-first century. Bangabandhu's dream of a golden Bengal is the history of becoming a beacon of light for the Bengali nation, with the responsibility of realising that dream.

In 1981, he was elected president of the party at the biennial conference of the Awami League. And on May 17 of the same year, she returned to her motherland, Bangladesh, after ending her long 6-year exile. She led the historic mass movement of 1990.

The people of Bangladesh trusted her and allowed her to work according to her plans. We believe that the people of Bangladesh will have the same faith in her in the upcoming 12th National Parliament Elections to be held in 2024, because the thing that we all should keep in mind at this moment is that Sheikh Hasina's alternative has not been created in the political context of Bangladesh. Just as Bangabandhu and Bangladesh are used synonymously, Sheikh Hasina has now become another name for the development of Bangladesh. As a result, while maintaining the continuity of development, Bangladesh is now moving towards a developed country under the leadership of the Awami League and the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter, Sheikh Hasina. And the leader, Sheikh Hasina, dedicated to the economic emancipation of the people of Bengal, is a worthy successor of her father. This daughter has entered the pages of history as a unique person and the leader of the Awami League. I wish you good health and a long life on your happy birthday.

The writer is an author, columnist, political analyst, and founder chairman of the Jatiya Rogi Kallyan Society.