A tribute to Hasina on her birthday; “Steady hands steering Bangladesh amid global turbulence”

India Today, a weekly English-language news magazine in India, today paid tribute to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she steps into her 76th year, hailing her glorious political career.

The article titled "Sheikh Hasina: The steady hands steering South Asia's youngest nation amidst global turbulence" highlights the premier's achievements over the years, battling a global pandemic and the economic fallout further fuelled by the Russia-Ukraine war.

Her resolve and commitment to see Bangladesh get the 'developed' tag has not gone unnoticed by the global community, the article said. Below is a look at some of her achievements as highlighted by India Today:

"Uproar over media reports equating Bangladesh seeking funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to a 'bailout package', prompts IMF to dispel the misconceived notion. A top IMF official explained, "Even though Bangladesh's reserves have come down, the stocks are still high enough to cover four to five months of prospective imports."

"Hasina is a persevering stateswoman determined to ensure that her country gets the 'developed' status. And surely, much to her unshakeable commitment and relentless struggles, Bangladesh is more poised to navigate a sea of hurdles ahead of the looming recession than many European nations," the article adds.

RELENTLESS STRUGGLE

Six years of exiled life following the assassination of her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, mother, brother and almost all family members, and nine long years of arduous battle against military dictator General Ershad's rule, put her above a lot of global leaders.

For a country that topped the global corruption index under BNP-Jamaat rule for almost five years, reducing poverty, achieving gender parity in school education, and bringing down maternal mortality are some achievements that many other developing countries should take a cue from.

The India Today article also gave accolades to Sheikh Hasina's indomitable courage, and her fight against a radical political ecosystem that includes Jamaat-e-Islami. It also noted how Hasina is the best hope to rid Bangladesh of the menace of militancy.

DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE

As Bangladesh passed 50 years of its independence in 2021, Sheikh Hasina's biggest success was how her policies turned around millions of lives. Under her watch, homes for the homeless — a scheme rolled out by her office — has paid dividends for thousands of lives with a target to end homelessness.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, her stimulus packages for the affected families and some cash incentives alongside food rationing helped lower-income groups survive unprecedented crises like lockdowns.

UNCOMPROMISING AND DECISIVE

Soon after the World Bank pulled out from funding the country's largest infrastructure undertaking, Sheikh Hasina went ahead with a move to self-fund the Padma Bridge project that connected Bangladesh's once isolated southern part with the capital. Unlike Sri Lanka's Hambantota port, which attracted hardly any shipping after being built at a huge cost, the bridge on the river Padma earned millions soon after it was opened to traffic.