Hasina Wazed
Hasina Wazed

Sheikh Hasina Wazed has been Prime Minister of Bangladesh since 2009, having won elections in 2008, 2014 and 2018. She had also previously served as prime minister from 1996- 2001, making a combined total of over 19 years, thus making her the world’s longest-serving female head of government in history. Wazed is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh, who was assassinated in 1975 during a coup d’etat which also saw Hasina lose virtually all her family. She lived in exile in India until 1981, when as president of the Awami League she returned home. In 2012 she maintained a hard-line stance and refused entry to Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar, but in 2017, nearly a million Rohingya entered the country and Hasina received praise for giving them due assistance.

Source of Influence: Political

Status: Featured in current year