Just 14 years ago, on July 16, 2007, Awami League President Sheikh Hasina was arrested from her Sudha Sadan residence at Dhanmondi in Dhaka by the military-backed interim government, which assumed power in the political changeover of January 11, 2007. Sheikh Hasina was released from the special sub-jail set up on the premises of the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament) Building on June 11 in 2008 after remaining captive there for nearly 11 months.
As Sheikh Hasina fell sick during her captivity, demands were raised then from different quarters including the Awami League and its associate bodies to send her abroad for better medical treatment after releasing her from jail. Conceding to the people’s spontaneous and repeated demands and pressure from different quarters, the caretaker government was
compelled to release Sheikh Hasina from jail.
Earlier on August 21, 2004, the coalition government of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami made a heinous attempt of assassinating Sheikh Hasina through grenade attacks. She survived this attack.
After 13 years of being released from the prison, Sheikh Hasina has emerged role model to the world. She has proved herself as a real statesman, who has been doing everything in transforming a struggling Bangladesh into the paragon of socio-economic progress. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has already emerged into the fastest growing economy in the world.
Sheikh Hasina had too many challenges when her party, Awami League won a landslide victory during December 2008 general election. The country was already left with too many adversities, where economy of the country was totally destroyed by the previous BNP-Jamaat’s corruption-plagued government. The 2001-2006 rule of BNP-Jamaat saw an alarming rise of radical Islamic militancy, as jihadist groups such as Harkat ul Jihad, Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh, Hizbut Tahrir etcetera were enjoying patronization and even funding from the BNP-Jamaat thugs. An Islamist inclined BNP and terror-patron Jamaat were pushing Bangladesh towards the fate of militancy-prone country such as Pakistan. They even were pushing forward their dangerous agenda of Islamizing Bangladesh, where religious minorities would continue to face extreme persecution.
Following the victory in 2008 general election, Sheikh Hasina pledged of a prosperous Bangladesh. She also had expressed firm determination in combating religious extremism and militancy. And just within the span of 12 years, the daughter of the Father of the Nation has succeeded in salvaging Bangladesh from mere economic bankruptcy to today’s proud status of the fastest growing economy. The government is continuously fighting religious extremism and militancy, while Bangladesh has also succeeded in gaining confidence of its neighboring nations and the international community.
Under the magnanimous leadership of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh is continuing its journey towards further progress, prosperity and happiness. Bangabandhu’s Sonar Bangla has now become role model to the world.
May God the Almighty bless our adored Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with long life and good health.
