Bangladesh, June 20 -- The long-running debate over the origins of COVID-19 has entered a new phase following the declassification of hundreds of pages of government documents by US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Released on June 18, the records have reignited controversy surrounding the handling of intelligence assessments, the role of former top health official Anthony Fauci, and allegations that federal agencies may have downplayed evidence supporting the theory that the pandemic originated from a laboratory accident in Wuhan, China.

The newly released materials, according to Gabbard, expose what she described as years of “lies, censorship, and cover-ups” regarding the origins of the virus. The documents ...