Timeline: The rise and fall of Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina

Hasina was credited with leading Bangladesh during a time of impressive economic growth, but she failed to address rising income inequality. She was also accused of becoming increasingly hardline [File: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters]

Sheikh Hasina became Bangladesh prime minister for the first time after her Awami League party won the 1996 elections. Her second stint in power, which began in 2009, was marked by impressive economic growth.

But she was accused of becoming a hardline leader and cracking down on dissent. Her 15-year rule is also known for human rights violations. The United States placed sanctions on the elite Rapid Action Battalion, linked to disappearances and extrajudicial killings.