Hasina now 30th on Forbes’ list of 100 most powerful women

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been ranked 30th among the world’s 100 most powerful women in 2017, according to the Forbes’ list.

With this, she has seen a significant elevation in her position in the list - from 36th in 2016.

Among the 22 most powerful female political leaders of the world in 2017, Sheikh Hasina, also president of ruling Awami League, has been placed at 9th.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has topped the list, with British Prime Minister Theresa May on the slot for the second most powerful woman.

In the profile of Sheikh Hasina, Forbes called the 70-year-old the “lady of Dhaka”, saying she has promised aid to the Rohingya refugees in stark contrast to Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar and allocated 2,000 acres of land to provide them shelter.

It also said: “Citing Bangladesh’s own state sanctioned genocide during 1971’s Liberation War, Hasina is “proud to bear the bulk of the cost” of the relocation of these refugees to her country. This includes issuing identification cards and providing childhood immunisations.”

On this year’s Forbes list, the 100 female politicians, business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, scientists, and philanthropists are from 27 countries - 48 from the US alone and three from China.

It is mentionable that, Hasina ranked 79th in 2009, the year she assumed office for the second time after winning parliamentary polls in December 2008.