Sheikh Hasina is in power for the fourth time in a row

  • Mansura Chamily, Special Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Sheikh Hasina

Sheikh Hasina

Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina, whose life story beats the movie! Though she was involved in student politics, she never thought that she would settle down in politics. Life was busy with the house and family of the scientist husband. On August 15, 1975, the Bengali nation lost its greatest son Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in a shameful assassination. Eldest daughter Sheikh Hasina lost her celebrated father and thus paving the way for entering into politics.

After that, the course of her life changed. After 1975, Sheikh Hasina returned to the country with a new background. When she goes abroad with her husband, her father was alive, the head of the country's government. But when she came back there was no father, no mother, no brother, no other relatives. In a deep void, she returned home on May 17, 1981 with a new heavy responsibility. Following her father's path, she entered politics.

বিজ্ঞাপন

She created history by walking on the path of a friend of politics. Sheikh Hasina has many new records in politics from 1981 to 2024. This journey of more than 42 years was certainly not paved with flowers for Sheikh Hasina. She has to go through many ups and downs. She is still leading the party and the country. History has put a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. She is a tireless warrior in her duties.

Her party is now going to form the government for the fourth time in a row through the 12th Jatiya Sangsad(JS) elections. She will be the Prime Minister for the fourth time in a row. She will sit on the Prime Minister's chair for the fifth time, stepping into history.

বিজ্ঞাপন

The beginning of this journey is the year 1996, the seventh national election. Awami League came back to power after 21 years of hard struggle. Sheikh Hasina took oath as Prime Minister for the first time. In the same year, she signed a 30-year water sharing Farakka pact on the Ganga-Padma river, which had been unresolved for a long time. She also signed the historical Hill Peace Treaty in 1997 with the Shanti Bahini to resolve the long standing dispute. Peace has come on the mountains. The treaty was signed by Chief Whip Abul Hasnat Abdullah MP on Bangladesh side while Santu Larma signed on behalf of warring Shanti Bahini.

After the election of 2008, she was again elected as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the second time in the ninth parliament in 2009. It started from there. Maintaining the trend of development, Sheikh Hasina was again elected as the leader of House for the fourth consecutive term after the tenth parliament in 2014 and the eleventh parliament in 2018.

Voting for the 12th JS election was held on January 7, 2024. Once again, Awami League President Sheikh Hasina is going to become the Prime Minister of the country for the fifth time and fourth time in a row.

During this period, she has done various development activities for the welfare of the country. By implementing projects like Padma Bridge, Metrorail, Karnaphuli Tunnel, Expressway, Rooppur Nuclear Power Project, Third terminal of Shahjalal International Airport, Bangladesh entered a new era under the leadership of the leader. However, her path was not smooth. Obstacles have come at various times; there has been a financial crisis! She faced house arrest or exile, and even grenade attacks. Still she did not stop. She constantly worked for the development of the country.

Yesterday Sunday (January 7) from 8 am to 4 pm polling was held in 299 constituencies across the country without interruption. At this time there were isolated clashes in some places. In 30 to 35 places there was a chase outside the polling station. There were also incidents of cocktail explosions near polling stations. Voting was suspended in seven centers due to irregularities and 15 persons were punished for aiding in fraudulent voting. Apart from this, several candidates boycotted the vote, alleging rigging and intimidation.

According to the information provided by the EC, out of 300 constituencies, polling was held in 299 constituencies. Polling for Naogaon-2 constituency was postponed due to the death of an independent candidate. 28 parties participated in the election. Among them, 1 thousand 534 party candidates and 436 independent candidates contested. Awami League had the most 266 candidates in the election. Apart from this, the Jatiya Party gave the second highest number of 265 candidates and the third highest number of 135 candidates was the Trinamool BNP which came to the election.

The total number of voters in this election was 11 crore 97 lakh. Among them, 6 crore 7 lakh 71 thousand 579 are male, 5 crore 89 lakh 19 thousand 202 are female and the number of third gender voters is 852. Total polling stations are 42 thousand 103. There were 2 lakh 61 thousand 912 polling booths. Vote was held with ballot papers.

Meanwhile, as many as 40 parties, including the BNP, have boycotted the election, both registered and unregistered in the Election Commission. These parties have been agitating for a long time demanding the resignation of the government, but without success, they chose the path of strike-blockade two months before the election. Unable to put pressure on the government, the BNP called for a 'non-cooperation movement' on December 20, calling for a vote boycott. The party requested suspension of payment of all taxes, fees, and water, gas and electricity bills. But all the efforts and mischievous acts of BNP-Jamaat led opposition utterly failed.