ISAS Insights

29 December 2008 was a watershed in Bangladesh's democratic evolution. In the elections that have been called historic, the Awami League-led Grand Alliance or Mohajote swept the national polls. Following an overwhelming victory, its leader, Sheikh Hasina, was sworn in on 6 January 2009 as Prime Minister of this nation of 147 million people. There could be few better examples to underscore this point than the Shakespearean quote that "uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." She was immediately confronted with challenges that were legion, including a bloody mutiny among border guards. The future of democracy of the vast populace, impoverished yet filled with promise, will depend on her ability to tackle these issues successfully.