Published : 11 Jan 2026, 10:38 PM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:00 PM
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina’s asset statement submitted alongside her affidavit for the ninth general elections in 2008 differed significantly from the assets she was subsequently found to own, claims Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen.
He said, “If the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Election Commission had been functioning properly at that time, her candidacy would have been scrapped then. But it was not.”
The chairman’s remarks came on Sunday while speaking at an anniversary event for Reporters Against Corruption (RAC), an organisation of journalists working on corruption-related issues.
On verifying affidavits, he said that it is “difficult to scrutinise asset statements in depth within a short time frame.”
Seeking journalists’ cooperation in probing affidavits, he said, “If you have doubts about anyone’s assets mentioned in an affidavit, please share that information with us first. You are investigators as well. Investigate and assist our investigation.”
Momen added, “We don’t want anyone owning assets not disclosed in an affidavit to come to power in the future.”
He stressed that establishing a “righteous and justice-based” state is essential to ensuring justice for all.
He said, “We hope to put in place everything needed to create such a state by this year. Even if this crisis passes, corruption will remain a major challenge for Bangladesh. We all must stay vigilant to ensure this corruption is addressed.”
Expressing hope that future rulers will be “righteous and honest,” the ACC chief said: “If we can elect righteous people, if we can bring corruption-free individuals to leadership and build a proper system of governance under them, we believe Bangladesh will move further ahead in the coming days.”
The chairman claimed that despite its “limitations,” the commission was moving “on the path to achieving the goals it has set.”
