Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been chosen for the prestigious Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development this year for her outstanding contribution to the promotion of democracy and pluralism. This was decided by an international jury chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday. The Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust said that 62-year-old Hasina has been chosen for her determined drive to alleviate poverty and secure social and economic justice for her people through inclusive and sustainable development and her consistent commitment to peace. After her re-election in December last year, Hasina embarked on her Vision 2021, aimed at transforming Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021, by eliminating poverty and inequity. As Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2001, she had launched a number of prog rammes to meet the basic needs of the poor and vulnerable sections of the population, through projects covering employment-generation, housing, health and food security. The award, which carries a cash prize of 25 lakh rupees and a citation, would be presented to her at a function to be held at a later date.<br/>