Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is increasingly getting popular at home and abroad for her dynamic and prudent leadership after taking the helm of the Awami League during the party’s toughest time four decades ago.

She has become an epitome of statesmanship for her role in taking the country forward, ensuring socio-economic development amid political unrest and tackling the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

World leaders also are speaking highly of the Bangladeshi premier for attaining economic growth, achieving millennium development goal, reducing poverty and curbing militancy.

As a global leader, Sheikh Hasina, also president of the ruling Awami League, has been maintaining good relations with all the countries, particularly Russia, China, Japan and India.

People also laud Sheikh Hasina-led government for signing the historic land Boundary Agreement with India to end the 41-year crisis of statelessness of enclave people.

But her party Awami League, many say, is failing to fulfil the desire of the people as its glorious image is being tainted for some party leaders’ ‘involvement’ in misdeeds.

AL presidium member Faruk Khan told the daily sun that all the achievements of Bangladesh have been made under the leadership of Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina.

“Bangabandhu has given us independence. But Sheikh Hasina has taken the country forward and has been working relentlessly to build Golden Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu,” he said.

“There might have some failures in running the state affairs. The government as well as the party has been taking legal action against corrupt people, irrespective of party affiliation,” he added.

People say that they have not seen any statesman in maintaining good relations simultaneously with the four countries.

They say other heads of the state might maintain relations with Russia, China but they have not seen anyone maintaining the healthy relations with the four major countries.

Following the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members by a group of disgruntled army officers on August 15, 1975, Sheikh Hasina returned home on May 17 in 1981 from India after nearly six years in exile.

Both the daughters of Bangabandhu – Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana – survived the carnage as they were in Germany at that time.

The capital turned into a city of processions as people had welcomed Sheikh Hasina braving storms and heavy rains.

The then Kurmitola International Airport and Shere-e-Banglanagar turned into a human sea to welcome her.

Tens of thousands of people with the immortal slogan — Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu — -thronged the capital to have a glimpse of Sheikh Hasina who was elected AL president in her absence in the party’s national council session held on February 14-16 in 1981.

After returning home, Sheikh Hasina started her struggle for restoring the people’s rights, lost after Bangabandhu’s assassination.

In doing so, she had to overlook the red-eyes of the military rulers by risking her life. For her pro-people efforts, she has been recognised as the daughter of democracy.

Reminiscing about those days, another presidium member Abdur Rahman said general people got frustrated over the politics of the country after the August 15, 1975 carnage.

He said even the party activists did not have any confidence on the senior leaders of the Awami League.

“Sheikh Hasina appeared before the party leaders as a symbol of hope and restored the confidence by taking the helm of the party,” he said, adding that “Sheikh Hasina has truly fulfilled the desire of the people and taken the country to new heights at international level.”

During her long political career, Sheikh Hasina helped the AL in assuming office in 1996, 21 years after the assignation of Bangabandhu.

The Awami League again assumed office in 2008 under her dynamic leadership and continued in the office for the consecutive third time through the January 5, 2014 and December 30, 2018 general polls.

The country also elevated to developing country status from the least development status this year under her prudent leadership of Sheikh Hasina.

The AL president also vowed to turn the country a middle income one by 2021 and a developed one by 2041.

Sheikh Hasina is going to make a history of running the country for 20 years as prime minister if she completes the new term.

None of the state actors, who had ruled the country in the past, got the opportunity to run the country for the fourth term.

Sheikh Hasina first led her Awami League to office through 1996 elections, 21 years after the assassination of Bangabandhu.  She took the oath as premier on June 23 in that year. Sheikh Hasina formed the government for the second time on January 6 after winning the December 29, 2008 elections with an absolute majority in parliament.

She took the oath for the consecutive second term on January 12 after winning the January 5, 2014 elections boycotted by the BNP-led alliance. She is the lone premier who is going to serve the country for 15 years in a row.