Leading from the front

The world has largely ignored the humanitarian catastrophe taking place in Myanmar, but Bangladesh has not. With Rohingya refugees fleeing across the border to Bangladesh by the hundreds of thousands, our government has shown true compassion by providing food, shelter, and medical care to these people. This comes down to the exemplary statesmanship of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has put politics aside in favour of doing the right thing. This is true leadership, and her stance on the Rohingya crisis should be a lesson to the international community on how to handle a global humanitarian crisis of such a daunting scale. In taking charge without waiting for other countries to wake up to the atrocities taking place, PM Hasina is changing the paradigm about Bangladesh, which has long been thought of as a minor player, and is establishing herself as a major world leader to be reckoned with. And this should be no surprise -- Bangladesh is the 8th largest country in the world by population, and what goes on here merits the world’s attention. By pushing the Rohingya issue to the world, urging OIC nations to stand with the Rohingya, and bringing the crisis to the attention of other world leaders, she has shown that Bangladesh need not wait for countries like China, or India, or the United States to lead the way. PM Hasina’s actions heralds a new kind of Bangladesh, one where Bangladesh can move forward and pave the way, one where we lead, not follow, with the necessary moral authority.