Fabricated Bangladesh govt 'congratulatory note to Trump' spreads online
The letter, purportedly signed by Yunus, read, "I would like to congratulate Donald Trump for being elected president of the free world. President Elect Trump is the messiah we all have been waiting for."
After Donald Trump was reelected US president in November, Facebook posts surfaced in Bangladesh falsely claiming to show a congratulatory note from the South Asian nation's interim leader Muhammad Yunus in which he purportedly called Trump the "messiah".
However, the official message to Trump released by the Bangladeshi government contained no such description. An analysis of the circulated note also found signs of fabrication.
The purported note was shared on Facebook by Sushanta Das Gupta, a leader of Bangladesh's deposed Awami League, on 6 November.
The letter, purportedly signed by Yunus, read, "I would like to congratulate Donald Trump for being elected president of the free world. President Elect Trump is the messiah we all have been waiting for."
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"He will usher in new ideas for humanity and boldly will take humanity to places we never visited. Truth be told, I have been a secret admirer of him since 2016. Again, warm wishes to President Trump and the warm relationships he and I share."
The Bengali-language caption on the Facebook post reads in part: "Is this the letter usurer Yunus sent to Trump? Where are the fact checkers? Do a quick check."
Bangladesh was rocked by a student-led uprising in August which toppled autocratic premier Sheikh Hasina, ending her 15-year rule.
Hundreds of people were killed in the weeks prior to her ouster, most by police fire. Scores more died in the hours after her toppling, largely in reprisal killings against prominent supporters of her Awami League party.
A caretaker administration headed by Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been tasked with enacting democratic reforms ahead of fresh elections.
The image purportedly showing Yunus's letter to Trump following the latter's reelection was also shared on Facebook.
However, the letter bore signs of fabrication.
The header to the purported congratulatory note read: "Press Release". In contrast, the actual letter to Trump posted on Yunus's official X account on 6 November was directly addressed to the US-president elect.
The original letter also shows 'Professor Muhammad Yunus' printed, while the fabricated one shows 'Muhammad Yunus' in handwriting.
The genuine letter did not describe Trump as "messiah". It read in part: "I am delighted to convey, on behalf of the Government and the people of Bangladesh, my heartfelt felicitations to you on your victory in the US Presidential Election 2024.
"Electing you as the US President for a second term reflects that your leadership and vision have resonated with the people of the United States of America. I am confident that under your stewardship, the United States will thrive and continue to inspire others around the world."
Below is a screenshot comparison of the circulating image (left) and the letter posted on the X account of Yunus (right):
Shafiqul Alam, press secretary of Yunus, said the letter shared on Facebook is fabricated.
"We have posted the original letter on official social media handles and media outlets also published it," he told AFP.
Yunus's original letter to Trump was widely published in local media reports.
