Sheikh Hasina: The steady hands steering South Asia’s youngest nation amidst global turbulence

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resolve and commitment to see her country get the 'developed' tag has not gone unnoticed by the global community. Here's a look at the achievements and struggles of Sheikh Hasina on the eve of her 75th birthday.

Uproar over media reports equating Bangladesh seeking funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — under the creditor’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST) — to a 'bailout package', promoted the multinational lender to dispel such a barrage of misconceived notions.

Putting to rest reports of a dent in forex reserves, a pointer of an “impending doom” for Bangladesh, a top IMF official explained, “Even though Bangladesh’s reserves have come down, the stocks are still high enough to cover four to five months of prospective imports.”

With global headwinds looming across the bigger economies, originating first from the Covid pandemic and then from the Russia-Ukraine war-induced economic fallout, the opposition of South Asia’s youngest nation is on an overdrive to draw perhaps an outwardly foolhardy comparison between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

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Just like it did with the pandemic, this green delta can ride out the latest hurdles too, although the economy has endured some real troubles.

The key reason for this optimism is Sheikh Hasina, who turns 76 on Wednesday. Hasina is a persevering stateswoman determined to ensure that her country gets the 'developed' status. And surely, much to her unshakeable commitment and relentless struggles, Bangladesh is more poised to navigate a sea of hurdles ahead of the looming recession than many European nations.

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