Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina provided false information in her asset declaration submitted for the 2008 national election, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen has said.

Speaking on Sunday after a discussion marking the 21st anniversary of Reporters Against Corruption (RAC) at the ACC Media Centre, Momen said that the information Sheikh Hasina disclosed in her election affidavit did not match the assets later found in reality.

He added that had the ACC properly scrutinised the affidavit at the time, she would not have been eligible to contest the election.

“We do not want anyone who owns undisclosed assets to come to power in the future,” the ACC chairman said. “I want to remind you again that there was a huge discrepancy between the assets Sheikh Hasina declared in her 2008 election affidavit and the assets we later identified.”

He noted that if the ACC and the Election Commission had performed their duties properly at the time, her candidacy should have been cancelled.

“But that did not happen. That is why we now seek your cooperation. We will remain fully committed to serving the state,” he said.

The Awami League won the 2008 election and formed the government. During Hasina’s tenure, the caretaker government system was abolished, and three controversial elections were held under her leadership in 2014, 2018, and 2024.

Her more than 15-and-a-half years in power have since become widely criticised as a period of authoritarian rule in Bangladesh.

In July 2024, a mass uprising led to the fall of Hasina’s government, after which she fled to India to escape public anger.

Momen said the ACC hopes that if honest and corruption-free individuals can be elected in future national elections, Bangladesh will move forward on a positive path.

“If we can establish the rule of upright and corruption-free leadership, we believe the country will progress in the coming days,” he said.

He also emphasised the essential role of journalists in establishing good governance and democratic transition, adding that cooperation between the ACC and the media would be further strengthened.

Expressing optimism, Momen said 2026 would be a memorable year for Bangladesh, voicing hope that the country would witness a democratic transition following recent major changes.

He added that the ACC would act as a partner in this process, while journalists would make direct contributions.

At the event, the ACC chairman expressed gratitude to former and current leaders of RAC, acknowledging their indispensable contributions since the organisation’s founding.

He also expressed hope that relations between the ACC and RAC would become even stronger under the new leadership.

The programme was chaired by RAC President Shafi Uddin Ahmed and conducted by General Secretary Tabarrul Haque.