Sheikh Hasina once fought for democracy in Bangladesh. Her critics say she now threatens it

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was Bangladesh's opposition leader in 2007, when hundreds of troops raided her home and took her to a court in the capital of Dhaka, where she was arrested on extortion charges.

Hasina, who had served as premier in 1996-2001, slammed the charges as a conspiracy to keep her from running in upcoming polls. She was fighting for the rights of her people, she said at the time, in a Bangladesh trapped in a state of emergency under a military-backed interim government.

She was given a choice: leave the country or stay in jail, according to a close associate. She opted to stay — 11 months later, she was released and in 2008, she was reelected prime minister.

Today, she is the longest-serving leader in the history of Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim nation of over 160 million people strategically located between India and Myanmar, and is set to tighten her grip on power in Sunday's general election. The vote follows Hasina's 15-year-rule that saw her turn from a leader fighting for democracy to, critics say, one of its biggest threats.