Facebook Furore over Sheikh Mujib Posts Foiled by Fact-Check
On the 50th death anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, several prominent stars from Bangladesh’s cultural arena shared posts on Facebook mourning the nation’s founding father. Among those who paid tribute were Shakib Khan, Jaya Ahsan, Tushi, Bashar, Shawon, Alvi, Toya, and many others.
However, by the end of the day, those very posts ignited controversy online, as rumors surfaced alleging that certain celebrities had been paid to post tributes to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The rumors escalated further when a purported bank statement screenshot circulated on social media. The document claimed that between August 13 and 14, filmmaker and actress Meher Afroz Shawon had transferred about Tk 20,000 each to the accounts of nine actors from her Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) account.
The claims quickly fueled debates across fan circles and the entertainment industry. Yet, fact-checking organization Rumor Scanner Bangladesh, a verified member of the International Fact-Checking Network, dismissed the allegation outright. According to them, “the viral bank statement is entirely fake.”
Their investigation revealed multiple inconsistencies. The account number shown in the statement was 13 digits, whereas official Standard Chartered Bank account numbers contain 11 digits. Further checks confirmed that no such account even exists.
Additionally, SCB’s official statements never disclose recipients’ names or account numbers. In contrast, the viral version displayed full recipient details, in direct violation of the bank’s official practices.
Rumor Scanner explained that the document had been fabricated using an easily accessible online template. By inserting the SCB logo and fictitious transactions, the fraudsters manufactured a seemingly authentic record. Similar templates have been misused before to create fake statements in the names of other banks.
