Sheikh Hasina

Built World

In exile since August 2024; subject of Anti-Corruption Commission inquiry over project

Bangladesh first considered building a nuclear plant in 1961, when the site at Rooppur was still part of East Pakistan. Sixty-five years later, on April 28, 2026, technicians began lowering 163 uranium fuel assemblies into the core of Unit 1—the step that turns a construction project into a nuclear power station. The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) issued the operating license for Unit 1 on April 16, 2026, the final regulatory clearance before uranium could enter the core. The loading process is expected to take 21 to 30 days, after which the reactor will be brought to first criticality.

Updated Apr 29

Rule Changes

In exile in India since August 2024

Bangladesh was on track to eliminate measles by 2026. Instead, the country is fighting its worst outbreak in a decade—over 9,000 suspected cases across 56 of 64 districts, with more than 140 children dead in six weeks. On April 12, an emergency vaccination campaign expanded into Dhaka and three other major cities, targeting 1.2 million children with support from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and Gavi, the global vaccine alliance.

Updated Apr 12

Rule Changes

In exile in India, sentenced to death in absentia

Sheikh Hasina ruled Bangladesh for 15 years, winning elections her opponents called fraudulent. On August 5, 2024, student protesters stormed her residence, and she fled by helicopter to India. Eighteen months later, on February 12, 2026, the country held its first competitive parliamentary election since 2008—with Hasina's Awami League banned and its leader sentenced to death in absentia. The BNP, led by Tarique Rahman, secured a two-thirds majority with 209 seats, while the Jamaat-led alliance won 68; results were certified on February 14.

Updated Feb 14