All of Sheikh Hasina’s mistakes

The fallen dictator Sheikh Hasina was exactly such a tyrant. The ultimate lesson of history is that no one learns from it. Sheikh Hasina, too, did not learn from the tragic death of her father, from Yazid, from Adolf Hitler, or Joseph Stalin; from the worldwide consequences of absolute tyranny. Therefore, her downfall was inevitable. Yet, perhaps even she could not have imagined that it would occur in such a brutal manner.
 

Faced with an unprecedented mass uprising of students and the public, former Prime Minister and Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina left the country on August 5 last year. Accompanied by her younger sister Sheikh Rehana, she took refuge in Delhi, India. This event marked the end of more than fifteen consecutive years of Awami League rule. In the history of independent Bangladesh, this was a rare and exceptional event. Such occurrences are extremely uncommon even in world history.
 

Sheikh Hasina was in power for 5,690 days. During her tenure, she carried out both good and bad actions. However, most of her actions were against public interest. Ignoring public opinion, she sought to govern the country as she pleased. Gradually, she became a powerful dictator. For over a year following her downfall, researchers have been analyzing her mistakes. Yet, there seems to be no remorse on her part. Sitting in Delhi, she continues to defend herself with her characteristic arrogance.
 

Political analysts, evaluating Sheikh Hasina’s tenure and actions, say that she “shot herself in the foot” by abolishing the caretaker government system. Through this, she ended a universally accepted mechanism that had been built through long struggles and movements. She took full control of the electoral system, conducting elections at her whim sometimes holding votes during the day or at night, sometimes staging one-sided, sham elections to prolong her power.
 

Sheikh Hasina also set a precedent in suppressing opposition and dissent. Anyone posting against her on Facebook or other social media platforms faced arrest and other forms of harassment a terrifying hallmark of her rule. Another major mistake, according to many, was her unchecked rhetoric. She spoke with insults, disdain, and disrespect. Calling people traitors, extremists, or anti-national became routine for her.
 

Analysts argue that Sheikh Hasina not only killed democracy and suppressed opposition, but she also fully controlled politics and the media during her tenure. She and her family became entangled in corruption, siphoning funds for personal gain and supporting associates and foreigners. Her total dependence on India, under the guise of balance, left the country defenseless and handed over control to external powers, increasing her own risk.
 

The people also disapproved of her overemphasis on her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. She turned him into a symbol of familial property. Favoring her family, distrusting outsiders, merging foreign affairs, government, and party for her benefit, ignoring capable and dedicated leaders, and failing to prevent the infiltration of opportunists were further mistakes.
 

Sheikh Hasina also placed all branches of government including the judiciary, Election Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission, public service commissions, administration, and law enforcement under her control, while failing to rein in student and youth leagues. Overall, she surrendered herself entirely to a cult of personality. Her regular press conferences were staged events where compliant journalists received privileges in exchange for covering up her wrongdoings.
 

Finally, her refusal to meet the quota demands of students and young workers marked the last stage of her downfall. To suppress this movement, she resorted to severe repression and massacres. She insulted students as descendants of traitors. This sparked widespread outrage among the public. Alongside students, members of political, social, cultural, and professional organizations, as well as parents, joined the movement to remove Sheikh Hasina, taking to the streets together. The result was her departure.