Dhaka, July 18, (V7N) – Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has committed an offense by providing false information in her affidavit during the ninth parliamentary election held in 2008, according to the Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh. The Commission stated that appropriate legal authorities are within their rights to initiate proceedings against her.

In a letter to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) secretary, the EC clarified that although the matter was raised after the window for verifying affidavits had closed, the Commission itself no longer holds the jurisdiction to act under the Representation of the People Order, 1972. However, it emphasized that the offense remains prosecutable under other legal provisions.

The letter mentioned that Sheikh Hasina’s action constitutes a violation under Section 181 of the Penal Code, which deals with the act of knowingly submitting false information to a public servant. The EC added that a magistrate or notary public—who received the affidavit—or a superior government officer can submit a written complaint to a judicial magistrate to initiate legal action.

The ACC had earlier, on May 22, formally requested the EC to take legal action based on the discrepancies in the asset declaration presented in Hasina’s 2008 election affidavit.

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