The letter of the six US Congressmen is not fake
Confusion has arisen on social media regarding the authenticity of a letter from six US Congressmen addressed to President Joe Biden concerning human rights in Bangladesh. Facebook posts (1, 2, 3, 4) and a report on the Bangla Insider website claim that the letter is fake. However, Dismislab’s verification confirms the letter’s authenticity. The lawmakers expressed concerns about human rights in Bangladesh and urged President Biden to take action.
On June 3, the Bangla Insider website published a report titled “Fake Letters to Congressmen: Deception and Fraud,” alleging that the circulating letter bearing the signatures of six members of the US House of Representatives is a forgery. The report claims that the Congressmen’s signatures were falsely added to the letter and that Congressman Bob Good denied signing any such letter. However, the report lacks supporting evidence.
Similar claims have been made on Facebook, suggesting that the letter from six US Senators against Sheikh Hasina is fake and was created using Photoshop. However, Dismislab’s verification confirms that the letter is authentic, and the individuals who wrote it are members of the US House of Representatives, not Senators.
On June 2, Congressman Bob Good uploaded the letter as a press release on his official website, titled “Republican Good Joins Call for End to Human Rights Abuse in Bangladesh.” The press release includes the names of the other five Congressmen who signed the letter. Congressman Good also shared the press release on his verified Twitter account.
Respected Bangladeshi news outlets, including Samakal, Ittefaq, Manabzamin, and New Age, reported on the letter. New Age published the news on May 31, and initially, amadershomoy.com also reported on it before removing the article.
Two versions of the letter with different dates (May 17 and May 25) have been circulating on Facebook. However, Congressman Bob Good’s website and reports in the Bangladeshi media confirm that the letter is dated May 25. The full letter can be found here.
Instances of forged signatures and fabricated statements attributed to Congressmen have occurred in the past. In 2015, the BNP was accused of disseminating a fake statement, which was later proven to be false.
After the letter circulated, two Congressmen declared it fake, leading to the removal of two BNP leaders from the party. The US State Department also questioned the BNP regarding the incident. Congressman Grace Meng expressed surprise and confirmed that the letter circulated under her name is indeed fake.
