Police have arrested two individuals responsible for managing a Facebook page titled “Amar Desh” on charges of spreading propaganda against police members, defamation, and conducting extortion by disseminating misleading information on social media.
They were arrested on Saturday morning.
Several senior officials of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two people, including a man identified as Salauddin, who claimed to be a journalist, had been arrested from Dhaka. Police said raids were continuing to arrest other members of the alleged syndicate.
According to police sources, during primary interrogation, the arrested individuals provided significant information regarding propaganda campaigns targeting several officers of additional deputy commissioner (ADC) and deputy commissioner (DC) ranks currently serving in the force.
Investigators also claimed to have confirmed links between this Facebook page and an overseas-based extortion syndicate.
The legal action follows a written complaint and the subsequent filing of a First Information Report (FIR) at the Shahparan (Rh) Police Station in Sylhet.
The complainant, Md Mohid Hossain, a resident of the Shahparan area and a photojournalist, alleged that since 1 July, the “Amar Desh” Facebook page, a specific ID, and a group named “Surmar Dak Family” had been circulating false, defamatory, and misleading information against him.
The complaint states that the accused used Hossain’s photographs to publish baseless posts, videos, and statuses. They reportedly demanded money in exchange for removing the content, threatening further propaganda and social humiliation if he refused to pay.
The police FIR categorises the incident as a computer-related crime. The case has been initiated under Sections 120-B, 385, and 500/504 of the Penal Code, alongside Sections 25 and 27 of the Cyber Security Act, 2025.
The complainant, Mohid Hossain, alleged that the pages had long been used to create and spread false content.
“They demanded Tk50,000 from me on several occasions. When I refused to pay, they began spreading fabricated information about me through several Facebook pages. I later sought help from the law enforcement agencies,” he said.
An investigative source confirmed that the information obtained regarding the targeting of ADC and DC rank officers, as well as the links to international organised crime circles, is currently being verified for further legal action.
Operations are ongoing to identify others involved in this organised social media-based crime and extortion ring.
Top-level officials of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP), speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the two suspects were arrested in Dhaka. One of those apprehended has been identified as a self-styled journalist named Salahuddin.
The complainant, Mohid Hossain, further revealed that the group had demanded Tk50,000 from him on several occasions.
He noted that these pages had been spreading fake content for a long time and began circulating false information specifically about him only after he refused to meet their monetary demands, leading him to seek assistance from law enforcement.
Efforts to arrest other members of the syndicate are currently underway.
