Sheikh Hasina: Who is the controversial Prime Minister of Bangladesh?

Ms Hasina was born in 1947 into a Muslim family in East Bengal and politics was in her blood.

Her father was the nationalist leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the “Father of the Nation” of Bangladesh, who led the country to independence from Pakistan in 1971 and became its first president.

By that time, Ms Hasina had already established a reputation as a student leader at the University of Dhaka.

Mr Rahman was assassinated along with most of his family members in a military coup in 1975. Only Ms Hasina and her younger sister survived because they were travelling abroad at the time.

After exiling in India, Ms Hasina returned to Bangladesh in 1981 and became the leader of the political party her father belonged to, the Awami League.

She joined other political parties to organize pro-democracy street protests during the military rule of General Hussain Muhammed Ershad. Fueled by a popular uprising, Ms. Hasina quickly became a national icon.

She was first elected to power in 1996. She is best known for signing a water-sharing agreement with India and a peace deal with tribal rebels in the country’s southeast.

At the same time, however, her government was criticized for numerous allegedly corrupt deals and being too submissive to India.

Later in 2001, she lost to her former ally and now nemesis, Begum Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

As heirs to political dynasties, the two women dominated Bangladeshi politics for more than three decades and are known as the “fighting Begums.” Begum refers to a high-ranking Muslim woman.

Observers say the bitter rivalry between them has led to bus bombings, disappearances and extrajudicial killings becoming the norm.

Ms Hasina finally returned to power in 2009 in elections held by a caretaker government.

A true political survivor, she has endured numerous arrests while in opposition, as well as several assassination attempts, including one in 2004 that damaged her hearing. She has also survived attempts to force her into exile and numerous court cases accusing her of corruption.