Internal NCP rift turns legal: 6 leaders face cyber case over AI-cloned voice videos, threat in Ctg

A cyber case has been filed at the Chattogram Cyber Tribunal against six leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP), including its Chattogram city unit Member Secretary Arif Moinuddin, over allegations of defamation, digital manipulation of personal images and audio and death threats using fake Facebook accounts.

The accused named in the case are Chattogram metropolitan NCP Member Secretary Md Arif Moinuddin, 30, Organising Secretary Ashraful Haque Tipu, 32, Senior Joint Member Secretary Hujjat Ullah Abir, 32, metropolitan Jatiya Chhatra Shakti organiser Sadik Arman, 22, former Joint Member Secretary of Jatiya Jubo Shakti Sajib Bhuiyan, 27, and Senior Joint Convener Md Mainul Hossain, along with several unidentified individuals.

According to the complaint, edited images and distorted audio clips of the complainant were circulated from a Facebook account named “Emil Hasan”, along with offensive and misleading posts. 

The complainant also alleged that he and his family received threats from multiple mobile numbers.

The complainant alleged that the attacks were politically motivated, stemming from internal disagreements following the announcement of the NCP Chattogram city committee on 14 May, which he said led to resignations and factional dissent within the party.

Speaking to The Business Standard, complainant and NCP Chattogram city Joint Organising Secretary Hujjatul Islam Saeed, 31, said AI-based voice cloning was used to impersonate him in videos circulated online, which were then boosted to amplify reach and damage his reputation.

He claimed he is now facing serious security concerns and alleged that the campaign was financially and politically orchestrated. 

He also submitted a 16-minute-20-second video to the court, which he said contains indications of financial transactions linked to some of the accused.

Efforts to contact NCP Chattogram city Member Secretary Arif Moinuddin over the phone were unsuccessful.

The case has been filed under Sections 25 and 26 of the Cyber Security Act, seeking arrest warrants against the accused, tracking of mobile numbers and Facebook IDs, and removal of offensive content.

Court bench assistant Al Amin said the tribunal accepted the complaint against unidentified individuals and handed over the investigation to the PBI.

The complainant, Hujjatul Islam Saeed, said he had submitted the same evidence to the court that he provided to the media, adding that he has legal representation handling the case.