Forging Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's signature on a recommendation letter, Hasina Begum tried to help Fahima Jahan Drishti gain admittance at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University. Though her intention was a good one, her method was ill-chosen. She is currently in police custody.
To make things worse, Hasina claimed that she worked at the Ganabhaban as a chef.
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Kamal Uddin Ahamed told the Dhaka Tribune: “She (Hasina Begum) came with a reference letter from a protocol officer, requesting admittance for the officer's relative in the undergraduate level.”
The identity of the protocol officer has yet to be uncovered.
The letter, apparently signed by the PM, was a recommendation for Fahima Jahan Drishti to be admitted to the university for the 2016-2017 academic session under a special quota.“After reading the letter, the university authorities had doubts about its authenticity. The university does not have any 'special quota' for enrollment and the PM never sends references for students,” explained the VC.
“She came around several times with the letter on December 7 and 12 last year and again on January 23 this year. I personally read the letter thoroughly and identified several spelling mistakes in the letter,” he added.
The forgery became apparent to university authorities and they sent the letter to the Prime Minister's Office for confirmation and in reply the PMO office denied that such a letter, signed or referred by the PM, had been sent out.
When Hasina approached the admissions office with the letter again on Sunday, the authorities handed her over to the police.
When contacted, a PMO press wing official said they had not heard about the incident as yet.
Sher-e-Bangla police station OC GG Biswas told Dhaka Tribune: “Hasina Begum is now in police custody. The VC of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University filed a complaint against her for the forgery. The investigation is still ongoing.”
Thursday, June 04, 2026
