Sheikh Hasina – "Innovation and Entrepreneurship are at the Heart of my Development Vision"

Sheikh Hasina and her nation have defied the odds. Under her strong leadership, Bangladesh solidified itself as a stable democracy while drastically improving its citizens' quality of life. She's also claiming Bangladesh a seat at the global table, speaking out for justice and the urgent need to deal with climate change.

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What are the driving factors behind Bangladesh's growth?

I grew up witnessing my father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and his commitment to people, democracy and human rights. Following in his footsteps, this government always sets short, medium and long-term development targets. We cherish the fundamental values of democracy and put the fulfillment of basic needs and flourishing at the center of our policies and programs. Our robust agriculture sector, steady export growth, increasing worldwide connectivity and political stability have all been contributing factors. But the power of democracy, government continuity and strong socioeconomic policies and programs have been fundamental.

What's the state of Bangladesh's relationship with the US?

The US-Bangladesh relationship is based on our strong commitment to democracy. We have a very strong people-to-people connection, with the US as our second-largest source of remittances. However, we were frustrated when Major Rashed Chowdhury got shelter in the US, who is convicted of the barbaric killing of our Father of the Nation along with his 18 family members in 1975. Both countries attach utmost importance to the norms of democratic principles and respect for human rights. Hence, we expect his immediate extradition. Bangladesh recognizes the US as a strategic partner and, given our geographic location, I believe the US also considers Bangladesh as a country of strategic importance. We are committed to working on issues of mutual interest to take the existing bilateral relations to the next level.

BIO

1947

Born in East Bengal (then Pakistan). Her father led the campaign for Bangladesh's independence in 1971 and became the country's first leader until his assassination.

1981