PM Hasina on Forbes' list of most powerful women

Business magazine Forbes has released its annual list of the World's Most Powerful Women for 2023, and it features Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Regarding the premier, Forbes wrote:

Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the longest serving prime minister in the history of Bangladesh, is currently serving her fourth term. She is also the world's longest-serving female head of government.

She won the fourth term, which is also her third consecutive term, after her party, Bangladesh Awami League, won 288 of the 300 parliamentary seats.

Hasina is running for a 5th term in January 2024 despite rising calls from the opposition party for her to resign. She has been accused of authoritarianism and cracking down on free speech.

Hasina also stands accused of voter suppression. She denies the charges, but in September, the U.S. announced visa restrictions for any Bangladeshi individual responsible for undermining elections.

The 2023 Power List was determined by four main metrics: money, media, impact and spheres of influence. For political leaders, Forbes weighed gross domestic products and populations; for corporate chiefs, revenues, valuations and employee counts were critical.

Media mentions and social reach were analyzed for all. The result: 100 women who are shaping the policies, products and political fights that define our world.

/KN/