The Spotlight, Volume-1, Issue-6: Truth Behind the Numbers–Debunking the $16B Laundering Claim

The sixth issue of The Spotlight critically examines the sudden and dramatic revision of Bangladesh’s alleged annual money laundering figure, from $16 billion to just $1.13 billion per year. The issue questions the credibility of the new administration’s economic narrative and challenges the politically motivated discourse around Sheikh Hasina’s tenure. Using comparative reserve data from countries such as Vietnam and Singapore, the article highlights global reserve declines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, arguing that these cannot be simplistically equated with corruption. It further investigates trade-based laundering, banking system vulnerabilities, and media bias targeting entities like the S. Alam Group. The issue concludes with a strong rebuttal against weaponizing economic data for political manipulation, emphasizing transparency, fairness, and economic literacy..

Also featured are reports on:

• Democracy in Exile: The Bangladeshi Crisis
• The Disappearing Opposition: Human Rights Under Siege
• The Rise of Crony Capitalism: A Case Study of S. Alam Group
• Campus Clampdown: Targeting the Student Movement
• The Shrinking Civic Space: An Assault on Free Expression
• A Fragile Judiciary: Justice or Just a Tool?
• Spotlight on Gen Z: Reimagining Democracy and Identity

ISSN 2819-2311 | Published by the Global Centre for Democratic Governance (GCDG)