Military rulers’ bloody eyes failed to suppress indomitable Sheikh Hasina
After the assassination of Bangabandhu and the killing of four national leaders in jail, there was naturally an extreme leadership vacuum in the Awami League. The same kind of vacuum prevailed in national politics also at that crucial time in the country’s history. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Begum Zohra Tajuddin, Abdul Malek Ukil, Abdur Razzak, Dr Kamal Hossain, Abdul Mannan, Begum Sajeda Chowdhury, Zillur Rahman, Tofail Ahmed and others could not individually or collectively fill the void of leadership, so they took the initiative to appoint Sheikh Hasina as party president at the Awami League Council held on February 14, 15 and 16, 1981. She was unanimously elected party president despite being absent at the party council held at Hotel Eden premises.