RAB arrested a man from the capital’s Baridhara area on Thursday night for creating a fake Facebook page titled “Nirapad Sarak Chai” and uploading “offensive” content.
Abdul Malek Selim, alias Selim Pasha, 38, was arrested around 11pm after film star and Nirapad Sarak Chai Chairman Ilias Kanchan filed a complaint against him with the elite force. RAB also seized a laptop from Selim’s possession.
Nirapad Sarak Chai is a campaign-based organisation that is devoted to creating awareness about road safety.
Major Rumman Mahmud, deputy director of RAB’s media wing, said Selim had created the page aiming for financial benefits.
“A few days back, Kanchan alleged that someone had opened a Facebook page in the name of his organisation and started uploading indecent, defamatory photos and videos on the page. Our intelligence traced
Selim in connection with the page and nabbed him in front of Jamuna
Future Park Shopping Mall,” said
Lt Col Kismat Hayat, commanding officer of RAB 1.
RAB also raided his house in Baridhara.
This is Selim’s second stint with RAB as he was arrested by the law enforcement agency once before.
Hayat said: “Selim went to Saudi Arabia in 1993 where he was part of a computer parts and voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) business. He came back to Bangladesh in 2007 and continued VoIP business here, which is why RAB had arrested him four years ago.”
After being arrested, Selim switched profession and opened two computer selling shops, which did not do well.
Later, he opened an online news portal named Virtualnews24.com. According to RAB, he posted objectionable photos and videos on the website to increase online traffic.
He also created several fake pages on Facebook where he posted weblinks to the portal.
A case has been filed against Selim under the ICT act.