In 1975, almost her entire family was murdered

Now, she’s the world’s longest-serving female prime minister

In August 1947, India became independent from the British and split into two countries: Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India

One month later, Sheikh Hasina was born

Throughout Hasina’s childhood, Pakistan was split into two wings, East and West

The West consisted of Punjabis, Pashtuns, and other ethnic groups; the East was majorityBengali, as Hasina was

While East Pakistan had a larger population, the West held most of the power

Tensions over that led to a civil war in 1971, after which the East emerged independent as Bangladesh (and the West as modern-day Pakistan)

Hasina’s father – a leading Bengali nationalist who played a pivotal role in the independence struggle – became Bangladesh’s first prime minister

Four years later, though, a military coup resulted in the murders of Hasina’s father, mother, and three brothers

Hasina and her sister, who were studying abroad, were the only nuclear family members to survive

Bangladesh’s military government banned Hasina from returning to the country, forcing her to live in exile

While doing so, she became the president of the Awami League, her father’s political party

In 1981, Hasina returned to Bangladesh and began her rise to political dominance

Hasina condemned the violence of military rule and became one of the country’s leading advocates for democracy

Despite repeatedly facing house arrest, she eventually became the opposition’s parliamentary leader

In December 1990, an ultimatum issued by Hasina helped force the resignation of the military leader, after which point Bangladesh transitioned to democracy

Six years later, she became prime minister

During her first term, Hasina became Bangladesh’s first leader to serve a full term

She was ousted from power after her term ended but remained a prominent opposition politician

In 2009, she retook power

She has held it since – and in the meantime, has overseen her country’s transformation

Hasina inherited a country defined by perpetual political instability and a nearly 90% poverty rate

After retaking office, she focused on expanding healthcare; supplying electricity to remote, rural villages; and constructing highways, railways, and infrastructure to mitigate natural disasters

The investments fueled the industry that would transform the country

Under Hasina, foreign companies increasingly outsourced their production of ready-made garments to factories in Bangladesh, which had the labor pool and increasingly the infrastructure and political environment to supply the world’s clothing

Bangladesh’s textile factories (“sweatshops”) grew to employ 4M+ workers – mostly women – while the garment sector more broadly is now the world’s second-largest and accounts for 14% of the country’s GDP and 80% of its exports

While Bangladesh is far from rich, it now has South Asia’s second-largest economy and a higher per-capita income than either Pakistan or India

That growth helped Hasina win back-to-back elections in 2014 and 2018

Critics, though, accused Hasina of becoming increasingly authoritarian, repressing the opposition, and silencing the media

Tensions over Hasina’s legacy came to a head last weekend, when elections were held

Amid protests and a crackdown on the opposition, journalists quoted her as telling her party that “the hands that would be raised against us have to be broken”

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch reported police ramped up security, set up checkpoints, and searched vehicles to intimidate opposition supporters ahead of the election

Hasina – who said while casting her vote that "I am trying my best to ensure that democracy should continue in this country" – easily won the election

Turnout, however, dropped to 40%, a figure many believe is an overestimate

Nevertheless, Hasina will extend her stint as the world’s longest-ruling female prime minister

In the process, she’s helped expand the term “strong man” to a new gender

You can read more stories like this in our appRoca makes staying informed actually fun. Read more stories, solidify your learning with quizzes, play minigames, earn XP, level up, and climb leaderboards