Police have released IT entrepreneur AKM Fahim Mashroor after what it said questioning in an investigation on charges of spreading false information on the cyberspace.
Mashroor, who served as the president of the industry’s top trade body, was picked up on Wednesday from his offices at Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar by the counterterrorism unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
He was held in a case filed under the ICT Act’s Section 57, which criminalises ‘publication of fake, obscene or defaming information in electronic form’.
An offence under this provision of the Act is punishable by at least seven years to a maximum 14 years imprisonment. Fines can be as high as Tk 10 million.
The case accuses Mashroor, who founded Bangladesh’s first job site bdjobs.com, of propaganda and instigating instability through his Facebook posts in the wake of the quota reform protests.
“He was brought in for questioning on the allegations, but we are yet to find any such content posted by him on Facebook,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner Nazmul Islam of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit.
“He has been released on a bond, but the investigation continues,” the CTTC cybercrime unit officer told Bangla Tribune.
A spokesperson for Dhaka Metropolitan Police echoed.
“Fahim Mashroor was released after question. He is still being investigated over the allegations,” Deputy Commissioner (Public Relations) Masudur Rahman told Bangla Tribune.
On Apr 22, a case was started with police by Md Al Sadique, a former leader of the Bangladesh Chhatara League’s (BCL) Dhaka University unit.
BCL is the ruling Awami League’s student affiliate.
According to the case documents, Mashroor uploaded defaming pictures of the prime minister as well as disseminate false and fabricated information on Facebook.
The case accuses him of instigating instability amid protests launched by students and job-seekers demanding reforms to quotas in public service.
Sadique attached several screenshots of Mashroor’s Facebook posts in his complaint filed with the Kafrul Police Station in Dhaka.
Mashroor, a former president of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), was elected a member of the body’s executive committee in polls held in March.
The founder of Bangladesh’s first job site bdjobs.com has been honoured as the Entrepreneur of the Year by the SME Foundation.
The ICT Act’s Section 57 has drawn criticism for effectively muzzling the freedom of speech and expression.
Rights activists and journalists have termed it ‘draconian’ saying it can be widely misused.