From a long exile, four decades back, Sheikh Hasina stepped on her beloved Bangladesh. She kissed her father, mother, brothers, and sister-in-law’s blood-stained soil with uncontrolled teardrops. Sheikh Hasina returned to her motherland holding a crying, but the Lionheart heir from her father’s blood, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
It was soothing sunlight in the afternoon of May 1981. After a long hovering over the Kurmitola Airport in Dhaka, an aircraft of Indian Airlines carrying Sheikh Hasina from New Delhi via Kolkata, touched the runway at 4:30 pm.
Holding deep grief in heart but encrypting an iron promise to complete her father’s dreams for the Golden Bangla, she waved hands to the thousands of people who had gathered outside the airport to receive her. All they had come from every strata and corner of the country and the whole thoroughfare from the Farmgate point to Kurmitola in the city was full of jubilant crowds almost 1.5 million.
The daughter of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina voiced strongly, “I have returned to the country not to become a leader of the Awami League, but rather to participate in the struggle for freedom by staying beside the people.”
She added: “I want to stay beside you as your sister, as your daughter, and as a worker of Awami League, who believes in the ideals of Bangabandhu.”
It was a dark time under the rule of the military dictator General Ziaur Rahman. As a chase board game, to bring Sheikh Hasina back to the country, the whole party chamber, in a national council session of the Awami League on February 14, 15, and 16 in 1981, elected her as party president in her absence, and then she got a scope to returned to the country on May 17.
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The return of Sheikh Hasina, the present Prime Minister of Bangladesh, to her homeland, vibrates a tale of executing the dreams of the people. The journey back to the motherland is a demonstration of her untiring movement pace in the face of challenges. Throughout her political career, she was battered by storms, both literal and metaphoric, but emerged stronger and more determined than ever. Her return signifies not just a personal victory but a triumph of leadership for the people of Bangladesh.
As Sheikh Hasina set foot on Bangladeshi soil, she brought her a vision of hope and prosperity for her nation. Her leadership has been characterized by a relentless pursuit of progress, encompassing economic development, social justice, and environmental sustainability in the course of her leadership phases. Moreover, Sheikh Hasina’s return reaffirms Bangladesh’s place on the global stage. As a respected leader and advocate for peace and development, she has earned the admiration of the international community. Economic development has been a cornerstone of Sheikh Hasina’s agenda. Her pragmatic policies and forward-thinking initiatives have propelled Bangladesh towards becoming one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
For sure, while Sheikh Hasina is at the driving wheel, there is a sense of confidence and optimism among the people. Thus they recognize her as their Leader of Trust, i.e., for her, impossible is possible to protect people and extend the state machinery for a btter life to them.
Ascertainly, Bangladesh has now graduated to the status of a developing country from a least developed country. Due to the intelligent, prudent leadership and timely decision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Padma Bridge, built with the own funding of the Government of Bangladesh, today stands as a symbol of pride of the nation. Her courageous leadership has proved that dreams can be translated into reality. With the marked confidence, big projects like Karnaphuli Tunnel, Metro Rail, and Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant are now symbols of pride, too.
Indeed, her journey in politics, marked by resilience and determination, has been instrumental in shaping Bangladesh’s development line. Despite the unfriendly time in many cases or phases, she is standing firm in making economic and political reforms to empower all in social life as she is a believer in a prosperous and inclusive Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina’s commitment to social justice and human rights is evident in her efforts to uplift the marginalized and empower the disadvantaged. Through poverty alleviation programs, education reforms, and healthcare initiatives, she has endeavored to improve the lives of all citizens, irrespective of their socio-economic background.
One of Sheikh Hasina’s most remarkable feats is her rock-solid dedication to democracy. Despite facing numerous challenges, she has upheld democratic principles and thus the voting rights of the people.
As Sheikh Hasina continues to steer Bangladesh towards greater heights, her leadership serves as an inspiration not only to her fellow citizens but to leaders around the world. In continuation of the successful implementation of the vision ‘Vision 2021’, she has adopted the Bangladesh Delta Master Plan (Delta Plan 2100) along with the ‘Vision 2041’ program to turn the country into Sonar Bangla as dreamt by the Father of the Nation. With the implementation of Digital Bangladesh, a developed and prosperous country will be built under the leadership of the Prime Minister. She directed the integrated plan of Vision 2041 at a meeting of the National Economic Council in October 2015. During this period, a target has been set to transform the per capita income into a developed country by increasing it to US $ 12,500. And the second is to reduce poverty to zero and transform the country into a golden Bangla (Sonar Bangla). Several strategic goals and action plans have been set to implement these two important visions of Vision 2041.
Indeed, her name will be carved in the hearts of people as a leader of courage as she didn’t allow the country to get defeated at the hands of anti-liberation forces. Her creative and iron mind designed the political map of Bangladesh to keep it on track with the liberal aspects of Islam.
For all her leadership outcomes, beyond question, in the political history of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will live as a “Leader of Trust” for years to come.