'Being a woman... this prime minister laughed to hear'

But the news of his location in the hotel spread to local Bangladeshis in the area. And when he finished interviewing me, the lobby of the luxury hotel was packed with his fans, including retired engineer Yusuf Chowdhury (66).

Yusuf said, “I got on the plane from Boston at 6 in the morning.” He took out a card and showed it to me and said, he is a freedom fighter, he participated in the war in 1971. He has come to meet to say that if he can help the country again.

Hotel staff are busy. The prime minister’s security guards understandably too—remember the 20-time fatal attack? – Get excited. Chants erupted from the crowd and they created a tide as if it was 1966 and Hasina was a member of the band ‘Beatles’.

However, within an hour a plan was hatched. Sheikh Hasina agreed to address the crowd. Ritz officials moved their Old Dominion Room’s chairs and tables to accommodate the meeting, and security guards let at least 200 people enter the ballroom through a line and search.

Most of the supporters were men. The exception was Jaya, in her pink dress and matching shoes. And there was Maliha Zaman (24), who was on holiday that day.

Maliha said, “Surely I have come to see such a woman. He inspired me.”

Maliha came to the United States two years ago after completing her master’s degree in the country. Now he is a software engineer, living in Virginia.

Maliha put it in a diplomatic tone where the US has yet to have a female president.

While the men were trying to get a better spot to see Sheikh Hasina, another woman explained why the prime minister is ‘special’.

Shaheda Parveen said, “He thinks about the elderly, about education. He worked on the transport system, building an important bridge. He thinks of children, he thinks of women who are childbearing. We all think about them.”