Fraudulent claims for assistance from July Foundation: Noyon submits altered image

Several individuals have been accused of fraudulently seeking assistance from the July Foundation by submitting false claims. 

One of the cases involves Noyon Sikdar, a man from Gazipur, who is alleged to have submitted a photoshopped image to prove his injury during the July Mass Uprising.

It isn’t just Noyon; a number of others are reportedly using similar tactics to obtain financial help from the foundation. 

While some claim injuries from motorcycle accidents, others falsely allege injuries caused by falling coconuts or accidental falls. 

However, all of them state that these injuries happened during the July uprising.

Noyon, who works in a shop in Gazipur, submitted an image to the July Foundation claiming it was from the time he was injured during the mass movement. 

Upon review, it was clear that the photo had been digitally altered using Photoshop.

After the foundation discovered the fraud, Noyon explained that he had submitted the manipulated image along with fake documents in an attempt to make his application look more credible. 

He later provided a written statement, and following that, he was let go.

The foundation’s efforts to combat fraud have led to three separate cases being filed at the Ramna Police Station in Dhaka. 

Some individuals have confessed in writing, after which they were released. According to the foundation‍‍`s officials, nearly 50 cases of fraud have been uncovered.

Mir Mahbubur Rahman (Snigdho), the CEO of the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation and the brother of martyr Mir Mahfuzur Rahman (Mughdo), spoke to the media outlet Prothom Alo about the situation. 

He said, “Fraud and deception are being regularly detected. If we validate the list of people who were injured or killed during the movement, the fraudsters will no longer be able to succeed.”

He added, “Our foundation is currently understaffed. As we go through the verification process for every applicant, it’s causing delays in providing assistance to the genuine victims. This is harming the reputation of the foundation.”

This ongoing issue of fraud is a significant concern for the July Foundation as it continues to investigate and expose these deceptive acts.