Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been named to Fortune’s third annual list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders.
Ranked No 10 on the list, she deftly navigated the competing demands of Islamic tradition and women’s rights, the magazine said yesterday.
“As the only female leader among the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation member states, Hasina has deftly navigated the competing demands of Islamic tradition and women’s rights. She has committed Bangladesh, the nation with the world’s fourth-largest Muslim population, to securing legal protections for women and helping them attain more education, financial freedom, and political power.
“About 30% of adult women in Bangladesh now have at least a secondary education – and the nation scores better on the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index than any other South Asian country,” Fortune explained.
Chief of Awami League since 1981, Hasina has been in office since January 2009. She previously served as prime minister from 1996 to 2001.
