Journalist sent to jail in cyber case for allegedly demanding money

A Dhaka court today (22 July) sent journalist Hafizur Rahman Shafiq to jail after rejecting his bail petition in a case filed over allegations that he demanded money from a firefighter while threatening to publish false and misleading videos about him on social media.

Confirming the matter, Prosecution Sub-Inspector Shah Alam said Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain Mohammad Junaid passed the order after hearing arguments from both sides.

According to the case statement, firefighter Andam Hossain, 27, of the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station against Shafiq, 38, Md Fazlul Haque, 35, Md Liton Mia, 47, and several unnamed others.

The complaint alleges that Shafiq repeatedly demanded money from the complainant while identifying himself as a journalist and threatened to create and circulate false and misleading videos about him on social media if he refused to pay.

It further alleges that Shafiq later published a video about the complainant on his Facebook page and again demanded money, while the two other accused shared the video on their Facebook accounts and posted abusive comments.

According to the complaint, the actions damaged the complainant’s reputation as well as the image of the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence.

It also alleges that the accused threatened to use artificial intelligence to create and spread more fake videos.

Yesterday, police arrested Shafiq near Holy Family Hospital in the capital’s Moghbazar and produced him before the court this morning, when the investigating officer sought to keep him in jail.

In the petition, the investigating officer said Shafiq admitted during preliminary questioning that he had been involved in the incident with the help of his associates.

The officer argued that granting him bail could allow him to abscond and hamper the investigation.

The petition also said police would later seek remand to interrogate Shafiq, recover digital devices allegedly used in the incident, and identify and arrest other suspects.

After hearing both sides, the court rejected Shafiq’s bail petition and ordered that he be sent to jail.