Sri Lanka, Sept. 18 -- Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday said it has "locked" the national identity cards of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, effectively barring her from voting in the general elections scheduled for February next year.

"Anyone whose national identity (NID) card has been locked cannot vote from abroad," EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told reporters at his office in Nirbachon Bhavan here.

"Her (Hasina's) NID is locked," he added.

Though Ahmed did not mention any other name, UNB news agency and the Dhaka Tribune newspaper, quoting unnamed EC officials, reported that NIDs of Hasina's younger sister Sheikh Rehana, son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Putul have also been "locked" or "blocked".

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