Staff Reporter :
A recent investigation by the fact-checking organisation Rumor Scanner has debunked the circulating Binance account screenshots, which falsely link several key figures of Bangladesh’s interim government to massive Bitcoin holdings.
The screenshots, which have gone viral, claim to show large sums of cryptocurrency in accounts allegedly belonging to the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, several advisers, and leaders of the July-August uprising.
According to Rumor Scanner, the screenshots are the result of technological manipulation and have been shared with unreliable sources. The screenshots include exaggerated claims of cryptocurrency holdings such as 93.06 Bitcoin (worth around $10 million) attributed to Shafiqul Alam, 204.64 Bitcoin ($19 million) linked to adviser Md Nahid Islam, and other similar inflated figures for other government officials.
These claims have spread across social media, with a post by Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and some Indian media outlets running the story. However, an investigation reveals that the origin of the claims can be traced back to an alleged news outlet named The AsiaPost News, which first reported the information on 25 February. The portal has limited online presence, with a minimal following and no identifiable editorial team.
Further analysis of the circulating screenshots revealed clear signs of manipulation. Rumor Scanner confirmed that the screenshots, which display ‘Deposit’ and ‘Log-out’ options typical of logged-in Binance accounts, were altered using the browser’s “Inspect Tool,” a feature that allows users to edit website content temporarily. According to technology experts, it is impossible to view someone’s account balance with only the user ID, making the screenshots inherently fake.
The social media reaction was swift, with many users pointing out the inconsistencies in the screenshots. After considerable backlash, Sajeeb Wazed deleted the original post.
Rumor Scanner has conclusively proven that the viral claim of Bitcoin deposits in the names of interim government officials and movement leaders is entirely fabricated, emphasising the need for caution when interpreting unverified information circulating online.
