Dhaka: Fact-checking body BanglaFact has debunked that independent lawmaker Rumeen Farhana made two major misleading claims in her speech during Wednesday's session of the Jatiya Sangsad. The fact-checking watchdog of Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) published a detailed analysis about the remarks of lawmaker Farhana on its website today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the report highlights Farhana's assertion that the BNP's rise to power would lead to crises in gas, electricity, and fertilizer, alongside a high corruption index and loan defaults. The fact-checking body provided context regarding Bangladesh's labeling as the most corrupt country in 2001. Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranked Bangladesh at the bottom for five years, starting in 2001. However, the index was based on data from 1998-2000, when the Awami League was in power, thus attributing initial responsibility to the Awami League government of that time.
After the BNP took office in October 2001, Bangladesh's corruption score improved from 0.4 to 2.0 by 2005, indicating a decrease in perceived corruption. This period also saw the establishment of the independent Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in 2004, strengthening anti-corruption measures.
Farhana's claim about BNP's tenure leading to loan defaults was also challenged. The current banking crisis and high default rates are traced back to policy mismanagement during the previous Awami League government's rule. The crisis emerged from bad and nominal loans being misrepresented as regular loans through policy concessions and accounting manipulations. Subsequent audits exposed these hidden irregularities, revealing a long-standing issue rather than newly created defaults.
BanglaFact previously published an analysis debunking Farhana's earlier misleading information in Parliament. Farhana had claimed significant job losses and factory closures within six months of the current government's term. However, BanglaFact's investigation found these events occurred during the interim government's tenure, with actual factory closures numbering 95, not the claimed 900.