Bangladesh to hold elections in April 2026, first after Sheikh Hasina's ouster - here's her journey from being 'Iron lady' to hardliner

Bangladesh’s interim chief Muhammad Yunus announced on Friday (June 7) that the nation will hold its first-ever election after Sheikh Hasina’s fall in April 2026. The 84-year-old said in a video message, “I am announcing to the citizens of the country that the election will be held on any day in the first half of April 2026.”

Yunus is currently leading the caretaker government in Bangladesh after the ouster of former PM Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, after she faced massive outrage from students in the country.

The rise and fall

Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of former Bangladesh president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, became the prime minister of the country in 1996. Later on, she was chosen to head the country in the same post in 2009 as well. Her second term witnessed an impressive economic growth in Bangladesh.

But later on, her 15 years in power were marked by a period of human rights violations in the country. She was accused of being a hardliner.

Here’s a timeline of Sheikh Hasina’s rise and fall of power:

December 29, 2008

Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League won the general election, and she became the PM for the second time.

February 2009

The Bangladesh Rifles, a paramilitary force, revolted, and over 4 people were killed. But Hasina's government managed to restore order.

June 2011

Hasina’s government passed the 15th amendment to the constitution and brought significant changes, including removing neutral caretaker governments. This was despite the opposition saying that the caretaker system is essential for free and fair elections.

February 2013

Mass protests in Shahbagh, Dhaka, call for the death penalty for those who committed atrocities during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

January 5, 2014

Again, the Awami League won the general election.

March 2020

Bangladesh’s economy suffers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A lockdown causes price rises, which lead to a cost-of-living crisis.

July 2024

Students in the country launched a protest against government job quotas - which reserved one-third of civil service posts for descendants of people who fought in the 1971 war for independence.

August 5, 2024

Hasina resigns and flees the country. Protesters stormed the prime minister’s residence.