The AL leaders and admirers queued in long lines, bearing flowers, fruits, sweets, cake and candy to greet the AL chief in the morning. Hasina then cut her birthday cake in a simple ceremony.

Hasina recalled memories of her birthday with family members and friends and said her birthday was never celebrated with festivity.

"Today, I am left without my parents and most of family members. They were brutally assassinated. My only sister, son and daughter are far away," she said.

Hasina said she forgot all her sadness and pain when she received plenty of love and affection from the people of Bangladesh. She asked the countrymen to pray for a hunger and violence free Bangladesh.

Hasina, eldest daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was born at Tungipara in Goplagonj on this day in 1947.

She was elected president of the party in February 1981 while in exile and returned to Dhaka on May 17, 1981. She has been leading the AL since then and became the prime minister in June 1996.

Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of AL, brought out a colourful procession on the Dhaka University Campus to celebrate Hasina's birthday. The BCL leaders and workers also cut a cake.