BanglaFact, PIB debunk news on laundering of $20b in 10 months

Fact-checking body BanglaFact and the media research team of Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) have debunked the news on laundering of $20 billion in 10 months, spiralling on social media, identifying that untrue information and misleading news were spread out to hide money laundering issues for a long time during the Awami League regime.

BanglaFact's investigation called the social media posts claiming that nearly $20 billion was siphoned off from the country in the last 10 months as misleading.

The fact-check body found that the claim of money laundering was propagated on social media using the two confusing news headlines on the issue from two mainstream news outlets, Kaler Kantho and Bangladeshi Pratidin. 

It also referred to different reports of mainstream media saying that on 27 May, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur exposed the annual report of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence when he said around $18-20 billion had been laundered during the Awami League regime.

He also said that during the last 10 months, more than 27,000 dubious transactions were found out as well.

Referring to this information, Kaler Kantho and Bangladesh Pratidin reported news with the headline "27,000 dubious transactions took place in 10 months, $20 billion laundered" and also revealed a photo card with the same headline.

BanglaFact said, seeing the two headlines, it could be determined that $20 billion was laundered in the last 10 months.

The two mainstream newspapers, however, changed their headlines, it said.

The BanglaFact team said the two newspapers, in fact, presented the proper information in the body of the news. But, due to their confusing headlines, the discussed claim went viral on social media, it said.