Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday said Bangladesh has earned an unenviable reputation as a “world champion in fraud,” citing widespread document forgery that has damaged the country’s global credibility.
“Everything is fake. Many countries do not accept our passports. Visas are fake, passports are fake,” Yunus said. “You must have seen the headlines—‘American base of fakes.’ This is a factory of fraud that we have built.”
He made the remarks while inaugurating the four-day Digital Device and Innovation Expo 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka.
Yunus said Bangladeshis face visa rejections abroad largely due to forged documents, including fake educational certificates.
“I have seen cases where people applied for visas using fake certificates. A woman applied as a doctor, but all her documents were forged,” he said, adding that such practices have led some countries to deny entry to Bangladeshi nationals altogether, including mariners.
“These frauds are carried out using intelligence and creativity—but for the wrong purposes,” he said, warning that technology must not be used to facilitate deception.
“If we want to advance technologically, we must ensure fairness and integrity. We do not want this country to become a factory of fraud. We want to walk with our heads held high in the world based on our own merits,” he added.
Highlighting the role of youth, Yunus said the mass uprising of 2024 had opened new possibilities for Bangladesh.
“The youth will lead the new Bangladesh—and even the world. They are the most powerful generation in history,” he said, describing technology as the core strength of the younger generation.
Referring to a past internet shutdown, Yunus said it had triggered widespread outrage among young people and played a significant role in mobilising protests.
“You can understand how important the internet is to them. That shutdown created such tension that even a powerful government had to flee,” he said.