TIB claim over PM Hasina’s fund ‘untrue’, says her press wing

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s press wing has rebutted the Transparency International, Bangladesh’s (TIB) claim that the Prime Minister’s Relief and Welfare Fund raised money for Rana Plaza victims.

A TIB report on Rana Plaza victims said on Tuesday that the Fund raised around Tk 1.27 billion for the victims of Rana Plaza collapse.
 
The report said only Tk 190 million of the money has been distributed among the victims and the remaining Tk 1.08 billion is unused.
 
“The entire money came for the Rana Plaza victims. I think it should be distributed among them,” TIB Trustee Board Chairman Sultana Kamal said.
 
The prime minister’s press wing in its Facebook page said around 5pm: “The TIB statement is not true.”
 
Explaining the role of the Prime Minister's Relief and Welfare Fund, it said the fund received money after the Rana Plaza collapse.

“But the Prime Minister’s Office has nothing named Rana Plaza Fund. No cheque against that name was received. So there is no record of receiving money separately after the Rana Plaza accident,” it said.
 
Hasina’s press wing also said many people and organisations give money to the prime minister’s fund in order to help distressed people. Money is regularly given to them for their treatment, study, building house and maintenance.
 
The fund gave savings certificates worth Tk 0.5-3 million to those who lost the ability to earn or the families that lost breadwinners to accidents.
 
The fund is conducted through an account with Sonali Bank’s branch at the PMO.