Sheikh Hasina graces cover of book on female global leaders

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been featured distinctively in a book unveiled in the USA on Tuesday, as one of the 18 current national leaders of the world that are women. The prime minister's photo, along with six other world leaders, was printed on the cover-page of the book "Women Presidents and Prime Ministers," said a press release from the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington as reported by BSS. Leading US rights activist and educator Richard O'Brien authored the book, which was unveiled at the Woman's National Democratic Club (WNDC) in Washington DC. Foreign diplomats, women leaders and representatives from civil society were in attendance. The author dedicated three pages to characterise Sheikh Hasina's dedication and struggle for the restoration of democracy and voting rights, attempts on her life, and historic achievements of the three-time prime minister of Bangladesh. O'Brien praised the Bangladesh premier for dedicating herself to making Bangladesh "more stable, more democratic and less violent" referring to her remark that "When I [Sheikh Hasina] have been able to establish Bangladesh as a poverty-free country, a hunger-free country, perhaps then I may say I am proud." The book referred to her family background, saying "her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the founding father of the modern Bangladesh state and its first President," and narrated the carnage of August 15, 1975, when "only Sheikh Hasina and her sister (Sheikh Rehana) survived." O'Brien recalled that Sheikh Hasina returned home from exile in 1981,  when she stood against election fraud and oppression as she was elected to lead the Awami League, but faced torture and repression and was put under house arrest in the 1980s. He said that despite being repressed by the government of the time, Sheikh Hasina remained so powerful that, in 1990, a coup leader stepped down at her insistence- referring to the fall of Ershad regime. In 2004, the author said, she was targeted in an assassination attempt in Dhaka that killed a number of people. She was in 2007 arrested but released in time to stand for election in 2008. Despite obstacles, he said, Sheikh Hasina and her administration accomplished a number of tasks, including the enacting of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in 1997, the banning of the use of landmines and helping chair the Micro-credit summit. O’Brien also pointed out Sheikh Hasina's international recognition for promoting peace and democracy, as the Bangladesh premier has previously been given the Mother Teresa and Gandhi Awards.