Shawdesh desk:

There are no concerted efforts by the authorities concerned to bring back the cybercriminals like Tito Rahman, Nazmus Saquib and Pinaki Bhattacharya and put them on trial though they have been spreading rumours on social media about the state and different dignitaries, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, from abroad.

The cybercriminals have sought political asylum in different countries. Such offenders are preaching ethics and morality through social media in a perfect example of hypocrisy though they themselves face arrest warrants over murder, rape and money laundering charges.

Opening Facebook pages and YouTube channels, they are pretending to be civil society members, spreading lies about the country, hurting people’s religious sentiments, making indecent comments about the government, distorting history and making mockery of different days of cultural importance.

However, there are no visible coordinated efforts by the authorities concerned to bring them back and put them on trial.

Diplomatic channels cannot be utilised properly in resisting these criminals though their whereabouts and offences are known to all, according to analysts.

About the issue, Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar has admitted the government’s limitations to take action against the cybercriminals staying abroad.

“We can’t block a specific URL (Uniform Resource Locator) under the social media domains. The contents of those who are staying abroad can’t be moderated from Bangladesh,” he told the Daily Sun.

Internet governance expert Sumon Ahmed Sabir said the users of internet platforms should be aware of such malicious content creators as there is no ‘editorial judgment’ on social media.

“Anyone can say whatever they like on social media. That can’t be controlled. However, people should avoid social media to source information as the platforms mostly produce contents without any moderation,” Sabir, an executive member of Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), said while talking to the Daily Sun.

The expert suggested avoiding social media to source information blindly as there are plenty of traditional media in the country that maintain ‘editorial judgment’.

Of the cybercriminals, Tito Rahman, Nazmus Saquib and Pinaki Bhattacharya are continuously spreading propaganda against the country and the dignitaries, staying abroad.

Tito Rahman

Mostafizur Rahman Tito alias Tito Rahman is living in Canada and he is the mastermind of cybercrimes. He continues to spread anti-state and anti-government propaganda.

Hailing from Itgao of Dinajpur municipality, Tito is an accused in cases filed over the series bomb blasts in 2006. He claims to be a close aide to August 21 grenade attack masterminds Tarique Rahman and Abdus Salam Pintu.

He works as a labourer in a Canadian factory and draws refugee allowance. He had never been involved in journalism. Assuming a fake identity, he introduces himself as infamous Nagorik TV CEO. He is spreading propaganda against the country, government and industrialists of the country.

Tito was the mastermind of the student protest in 2018. He is trying to destabilise the country through his activities. He earns money blackmailing businessmen. Besides, he receives funds from BNP. He maintains contact with anti-state elements like Maj Delwar, Col Shahid Khan and Capt Shahid Islam.

Targeting leading corporate houses and renowned industrialists, he spreads rumours in a bid to realise extortion. Whenever he fails to get any money, he releases indecent contents on the business houses and its owners.

Nazmus Saquib

Nazmus Saquib, a cadre of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, is a refugee in Canada, but he is now staying in the USA. His major work is to defame the Awami League government and family members of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

He spreads lies through YouTube channel operated by war criminals. He receives money from the fund left by war criminal Mir Quasem Ali who was hanged. He also gets money from Tarique Rahman. The Nazmus Saquib gang is running anti-government propaganda after setting up YouTube channel named Nagorik TV with this money.

He introduces himself as a cadre of Tarique Rahman. He is close to Barrister Abdur Razzaq who was a Jamaat leader. The government and members of Bangabandhu family are targeted by him.

Nazmus Saquib is accused in various cases, including one for violating a child. In 2011, he raped the five-year-old girl at Sabujbagh in the capital.

According to the case statement, the child used to live with her family in a shanty at 28 Mayakanan of Sabujbagh. Her father used to run a CNG-run auto-rickshaw to earn a living.

On the fateful day in 2011, Nazmus Saquib, a drug addict, lured the little girl into going to his residence after offering her chocolates. Then he took her to the rooftop of the building and raped her several times.

At one stage, he left the child in the garage on the ground floor when she was bleeding profusely. Then Bachchu Mia, the caretaker of the house, came forward after hearing the child’s screaming. Seeing the pathetic condition of the child, locals gathered around the house and the victim narrated the brutality that she endured.

After the incident, Nazmus Saquib’s father Jalilul Azam along with the child’s father first took her to Mugda General Hospital from where she was later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) as her condition deteriorated.

After 28 days of treatment at the DMCH, the child could survive but the trauma affected her speech and she became speech-impaired. The child lost the power to speak due to rape, and excessive stress and blood loss, according to the medical report.

To hush up the incident at that time, Nazmus Saquib’s father Jalilul Azam and maternal uncle Abu Dayan tried to convince the girl’s family not to proceed with legal procedure by giving them money. But the victim’s father filed a rape case against rapist Saquib with Sabujbagh police station.

Replying to a query, Mohammad Atiqur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the police station, said, “The case was filed long ago. Police submitted a charge sheet before the court against Nazmus Saquib.”

Mobashwer Hossain, a local resident, said the child’s family eventually left the area fearing repercussion.

The family with two daughters and a son now lives in a tin-shed house of Amir Uddin in a lane behind the Rampura TV Centre.

The victim’s father said rapist Nazmus Saquib had robbed his family of happiness. “My healthy daughter couldn’t bear the trauma of rape and lost the power to speak after that incident. She now can’t speak. After a month of treatment, she survived. My heart aches after seeing the sufferings of my daughter. Nazmus Saquib had ruined my daughter’s life.”

Nazmus Saquib, who is used to perverted sex, also raped his cousin Kazi Rubaiya. When Rubaiya became pregnant following the rape, Nazmus Saquib married her under family pressure.

Besides, there were several other allegations of sexual abuse against Nazmus Saquib in the area, including one involving his grandmother.

Khilgaon, Sabujbagh and Motijheel police stations have multiple cases and general diaries lodged against him.

Nazmus Saquib and his cohorts also gang-raped the wife of Rezaul Karim of Daudkandi in Cumilla, who was a tenant of Nazmus Saquib. The couple left the area after the incident in 2010.

Fearing repercussion, they filed no case against the rapists. They left home silently at that time. The victim’s husband now lives in Pirerbagh area of Mirpur.

“Nazmus Saquib is now settled in the USA and runs so-called TV shows on YouTube. I don’t want to remember that day anymore. My wife tries to commit suicide when the incident of sexual abuse haunts her. We’re somehow living with the trauma being our constant companion,” Rezaul said.

Mizanur Rahman, OC of Motijheel Police Station, said, “Nazmus Saquib is facing a case filed with my police station. I’ll be able to say more details after examining the case documents.”

Md Farukul Alam, OC of Khilgaon Police Station, said Nazmus Sakib is facing a rape case filed with his police station.

Pinaki Bhattacharya

Dr Pinaki Bhattacharya is the eldest son of late teacher of Bogura Zila School and cultural personality Shyamal Bhattacharya.

In 2008, the government took initiative to distribute medicine of black fever among country’s people free of cost. Bhattacharya was the chief executive officer of a pharmaceutical company that got the contract for producing the medicine. He came to limelight by producing fake medicine.

Once associated with Awami League politics, Bhattacharya pretended to be a member of so-called civil society in 2018. He was driven away by his father from their house for speaking against traditional religion, politics and religious harmony.

The man, who sought political asylum in France, left the country in 2020 avoiding notice of law enforcement agencies. Before leaving the country, he spread propaganda expressing his fear of falling prey to forced disappearance.

Bhattacharya has been sharply critical of various provisions of traditional religion on his own YouTube channel. He is trying to spread hatred against followers of traditional religion by taking a stand in favour of cow-killing.

Bhattacharya criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He publicly opposed the trial of the perpetrators of 1971 war crimes. He ridiculed law and convictions of war criminals and committed contempt of court.

He called for a boycott of the mass procession and the celebration of the Bengali New Year, Pahela Baishakh.

Bhattacharya harshly rebuffs police’s anti-drug drives in 2018. He described the killing of criminals in gunfight with police as “extrajudicial” killings and supported drug traffickers.

During quota reform and safe road movements, he instigated tender-hearted children of schools and colleges to take to the streets endangering their lives.

He was summoned by law enforcement agencies on August 5, 2018 for his controversial activities. And he voluntarily went into hiding. He secretly crossed the border into Bangkok in January 2019 and fled to France to seek political asylum.

From France, he is constantly spreading hatred against religion, culture of the country, government, army and the Bangabandhu family. He is trying to question issues like independence, sovereignty, national flag and national anthem.

Bhattacharya made joke about the almighty creator of the world in February 2013 through running a series styled ‘Conversations with God’. He also spoke in favour of killing bloggers Asif and Avijit Roy.

On October 15 last year, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police filed a case against Bhattacharya with Ramna Police Station under the Digital Security Act. He was accused of hatching conspiracies and tarnishing the image of the state.

Dhaka Cyber Tribunal public prosecutor Nazrul Islam Shamim said there are 2,000-2,500 cases pending with the tribunal. “Around 5-7 percent cases are filed for spreading lies about the President, Prime Minister, cabinet members and members of the Bangabandhu family. In the last three months, 200 cases were disposed of and 100 ended in conviction of the accused,” he said.

About bringing back the cybercriminals, the prosecutor said the court did not pass any order for bringing them back as the highest punishment for such offence is seven years’ imprisonment.

Assistant Inspector General of police Manjur Rahman said the Police Headquarters sees the cases involving cybercrimes with great importance. “We’re working on the cases as per the law,” he said.