00:00 In 2007, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, then serving as the opposition leader, faced
00:11 a dramatic turn of events when hundreds of troops raided her home.
00:19 She was subsequently taken to a court in the capital Dhaka and arrested on extortion charges.
00:23 Denouncing the charges as a conspiracy to thwart her participation in upcoming polls,
00:27 Hasina, who had previously served as Prime Minister from 1996 to 2001, asserted she was
00:33 fighting for the rights of her people in Bangladesh under a state of emergency enforced by a military-backed
00:38 interim government.
00:39 During this challenging period, she was presented with a choice - leave the country or remain
00:45 in jail, as recounted by a close associate.
00:48 Despite the hardships, she chose to stay.
00:50 After spending 11 months in detention, Hasina was released and in 2008, she emerged victorious
00:56 in the elections, securing her position as the re-elected Prime Minister.
01:00 As of today, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stands as the longest-serving leader in Bangladesh's
01:04 history, a nation of over 160 million people, strategically situated between India and Myanmar.
01:11 In the upcoming general election on Sunday, she is poised to further solidify her hold
01:15 on power.
01:16 Hasina's leadership spans 15 years, during which she transitioned from a figure championing
01:21 democracy to, according to critics, one of its significant challenges.
01:25 In the absence of her main rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, boycotting the January
01:30 7 polls over concerns about the fairness of the vote under Hasina's government, the 76-year-old
01:34 premier is positioned to secure her fourth, consecutive and fifth overall term in office.
01:40 Supporters argue that Hasina and her Awami League have transformed Bangladesh, with improvements
01:45 such as reduced power cuts, increased industrial activity, enhanced access to education for
01:50 girls, thriving development projects and stability that has prevented military coups, a recurrent
01:55 issue in the nation's tumultuous history.
01:57 However, amid these achievements, there exists a segment of disenchanted voters who perceive
02:02 little opportunity for altering the existing political landscape.
02:09 The trajectory of Sheikh Hasina's political career was profoundly influenced by the tragic
02:13 events of August 15, 1975, when a military coup resulted in the assassination of her
02:18 father, Sheikh Mujib Rehman, the inaugural leader of independent Bangladesh.
02:22 At the time, 28-year-old Hasina was in Germany with her younger sister, and the family's
02:26 Dhaka residence was violently invaded by a group of army officers.
02:30 In a brutal act, her parents, three other siblings and the household staff, 18 people
02:34 in total, lost their lives.
02:36 This traumatic incident is believed to have propelled Hasina to consolidate unprecedented
02:40 political power, serving as a driving force throughout her career.
02:45 For Hasina, her father represented the visionary founder of independent Bangladesh, established
02:50 after its forces, assisted by India, triumphed over Pakistan in 1971.
02:55 The core of her ambitions has been dedicated to realizing the nation he envisioned, as
02:59 suggested by a source closely associated with Hasina.
03:02 In the aftermath of the Bangladesh train fire incident, Hasina's government accused the
03:06 opposition party BNP of arson, an allegation vehemently denied by the BNP.
03:11 While the government asserts the election's inclusivity and fairness, critics argue that
03:15 the polls underscore broader concerns within Bangladesh's democracy.
03:20 Internationally, Hasina has adeptly cultivated relationships with influential nations, skillfully
03:26 balancing between rivals.
03:27 She has staunchly supported both India and China, even amid their border standoff, with
03:32 Beijing and New Delhi investing significantly in Bangladesh's infrastructure projects.
03:37 Additionally, Hasina has maintained Bangladesh's historical ties with Russia, despite Western
03:41 criticism due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while also expanding her engagement with Western
03:47 leaders.
03:47 [music]
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