With the participation of Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the G20 Summit held in India's capital, New Delhi, and subsequent events, some things in Bangladesh have been changing. Next up is the parliamentary election. It is said that this election will follow the country's constitution, like in all other countries. However, the opposition and some enlightened individuals in the country do not want to accept this.

In their view, the election should be held unconstitutionally. Such elections are only held in one country in the world, and that country is Pakistan. It was through a struggle against Pakistan that Bengalis secured their independence and created the nation of Bangladesh.

Her father, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, lived in the independent country for only about three years. Tragically, he was assassinated along with most of his family on August 15, 1975. Fortunately, two of Bangabandhu's daughters survived, today's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana. After many ups and downs, Sheikh Hasina brought her father's party, the Bangladesh Awami League, to power in 1996.

It is an unprecedented historic event. Since then, Bangladesh's journey of transformation began. After winning the election in 1996 and forming the government, Sheikh Hasina faced her first challenge, which was establishing the rule of law in the country. After the assassination of Bangabandhu, the founder of the BNP, General Ziaur Rahman, took power and ruled with the help of the killers.

He released the killers of the 1975 assassination, absolving them of their crimes, by issuing an ordinance. Zia held a farcical election in 1977, and then incorporated that ordinance into the constitution, making it a law. In 1996, the elected parliament annulled the infamous law, and the government initiated the trial of the killers of '75. The journey towards the rule of law in the country began. Sheikh Hasina could have chosen to try these cases in a special tribunal if she had wanted, but she did not. In 2001, when Khaleda Zia came to power, she halted these trials. In subsequent years, Sheikh Hasina returned to power and completed these trials.

In 1976, I went to the United States for higher education. At that time, there was hardly any news about the outside world in the newspapers of that country. Occasionally, there were news articles of global significance, such as Bangladesh's famine, shipwrecks, and deaths due to cold weather. In 1976, while trying to explain to a taxi driver in the city of Chicago where Bangladesh was located, he asked, "Oh, Mujib's country?" I replied, "Yes." His next statement was, "You guys killed your leader." I remained silent. That's how the world knew Bangladesh. But now the country is recognized in various ways, and they recognize Bangladesh's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. She is now Bangladesh's brand ambassador.

For more than the past two years, various opposition parties and political entities of different stripes have been making continuous efforts to oust Sheikh Hasina from power. Among them are the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, bewildered left-wing factions, and unorthodox political leaders. They have been joined by some hybrid opportunists from the ruling party and some well-placed bureaucrats who enjoy privileges. Behind all of them are some foreign powers from the West who want to see a pliable government in the coming days. Some offer a 24-hour ultimatum, while others specify a date and demand that Sheikh Hasina pack up 20 suitcases and leave. So far, none of these efforts have succeeded.

On the other hand, Sheikh Hasina is gaining more and more acceptance among the global community. She is receiving invitations to various international conferences, even though Bangladesh is not a member. She has been invited to the BRICS summit. Bangladesh's President is attending the "Asian" meeting to participate. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi specially invited Sheikh Hasina to join the G20 summit. Recently, the two-day conference of this alliance concluded on September 10th. Besides Sheikh Hasina, nearly 25 government leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, from advanced and wealthy countries participated in this important event. Among all, Sheikh Hasina's presence shone brightly.

The question may arise: Why was Bangladesh invited to such a conference, and why was Sheikh Hasina honoured so much at this summit? The conference began on September 9th, and Sheikh Hasina arrived in Delhi the previous day. On that day, in the afternoon, she had a one-on-one meeting with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence. After the meeting concluded, Modi held another meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden. Although the specifics of these two meetings are not known, observers believe that both of these meetings, held one after the other, are considered important in the context of Bangladesh's upcoming elections.

Bangladesh's relationship with India is historical. This relationship is cemented in blood, which was established during the 1971 Liberation War. Such a relationship is rare in history. Bangladesh shares a border of over four thousand kilometres with India. Northern and northeastern India depend significantly on Bangladesh for security. Various separatist groups in northern and northeastern India have been striving to create separate states from India since post-1947, resorting to violent movements. They have often received assistance from Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI.

In the past 50 years, whenever the Awami League was in power, this region of India had been the most secure and peaceful. On the other hand, during other times, these separatist organizations have not only received assistance from the ISI of Pakistan but have also used Bangladesh as an illegal weapons smuggling route. BNP practised impunity in this regard through Khaleda Zia's elder son, Tarique Rahman. In April 2004, when a shipment of illegal arms (10 trucks) was seized in Chattogram, everything was exposed. Tarique Rahman was sentenced to life imprisonment for this crime. He is now in exile in London. This border region of India is now relatively peaceful, although there is some unrest in Manipur due to internal reasons. On the other hand, over the past 15 years, due to various communication channels established through this region, economic ties have developed between northeastern India and Bangladesh. India will always have economic interests in Bangladesh through this region. India will, of course, want political stability in Bangladesh for its own interests. They will not want to see Bangladesh used as a route for illegal arms smuggling. This is not something strange; they will always maintain communication with the government on this issue.

Bangladesh's equation with the United States is somewhat unique. During 1971, the US did not support Bangladesh's independence; they favoured Pakistan's side. In recent times, the US has not only embraced reality but has also become a major development partner for Bangladesh. Their investments, especially in the energy sector, are noteworthy. A significant portion of Bangladesh's remittances comes from the United States. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have provided significant assistance to Bangladesh. However, U.S. foreign policy is always entangled with their economic and corporate interests. To protect these interests, they have destabilized many countries and assassinated several governments and heads of state. They have sometimes used democracy, sometimes human rights, as a tool for their selfish motives. That's history for you.

The United States, not only with Bangladesh but also with nearly all countries in the South Asian and Indo-Pacific region, has economic self-interests at stake. In Myanmar, where there is currently no active government, the United States has substantial investments. In Vietnam, there is neither democracy nor prevalent human rights, yet the United States engages there for economic reasons. President Biden left for Vietnam at the end of the Delhi summit because of economic interests. Due to various statements and actions from the US State Department over time, the people and the government of Bangladesh have felt that the United States desires a change of power in Bangladesh, even if it's through unconstitutional means.

On this issue, the Prime Minister herself made a statement in Parliament without mentioning the name of any country. However, officials from the US State Department and many responsible individuals have assured Bangladesh that they do not want to bring any specific party to power in Bangladesh. They want a stable political environment in the country. Although the United States initially appeared somewhat confused on this matter, they have now clarified their stance towards Bangladesh. The United States has always had economic interests in the South Asian and Indo-Pacific region, keeping their dominance intact, particularly in the Bay of Bengal region. In April of this year, Bangladesh declared that there should not be any single dominance in this important region, and this principle should be kept open for everyone. The United States has sometimes caused confusion due to various statements and actions from the US State Department, but now they have a clearer understanding of Bangladesh's position. Another point of misunderstanding between the United States and India was Bangladesh's relationship with China. They assumed that Bangladesh was tilting more towards China. Bangladesh has clearly stated that its relationship with China is purely economic. Bangladesh's foreign policy is still guided by the principles given by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which emphasizes friendship with everyone and no enmity with anyone. While in Delhi, Sheikh Hasina did not forget to mention this in various formal and informal meetings. Although there may be agreement on many issues between the United States and Bangladesh, there will still be some mistrust between the two countries due to the United States less-than-favourable past history.

Another reason why Bangladesh's stability is of interest to all developed countries is that under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the country has become an economic powerhouse in this region. Globally, its current status is 32nd. International research organizations have indicated that by 2030, the country will rise to the ninth place in the world in terms of the consumer goods market. Countries like Germany or the United Kingdom will lag behind. Another significant factor is Bangladesh's massive population, a substantial portion of which falls into the middle class economically. They will be the consumers of these consumer goods. Whether it's the United States, China, India, or any other country that produces consumer goods, they naturally have their eyes on Bangladesh.

To maintain the current situation, Bangladesh desires political stability and to remain free from terrorism and extremism, something that Sheikh Hasina has undoubtedly ensured. In a few days, she will address the United Nations General Assembly, where she will speak about the country, promote peace globally, and call upon all relevant parties to cease war. She will mention the causes of environmental degradation, urging those responsible to become more aware. She will speak with the voice of a father.

Now, Bangladesh no longer needs to be identified with any other country. When people see the image of Sheikh Hasina, they can easily recognize her as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Even though Bangladesh may not be a member of certain international organizations, her country calls her there. She is the face of Bangladesh. However, she faces numerous challenges, not only from opposition parties like the Shibir but also from many influential leaders within her own party who hold significant positions.

On September 28th, it's Sheikh Hasina's birthday. Typically, she celebrates it with her family. Happy early birthday to the person who has transformed Bangladesh, earned through the sacrifice of 30 lakh martyrs.

Writer: Analyst and researcher.