Cyberterrorist Pinaki Bhattacharya faces fees beneath Digital Safety Act

In Bangladesh, the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Division has filed a cost sheet towards cyberterrorist and asset of Pakistani spy company Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) Pinaki Bhattacharya, who fled Bangladesh and sought political asylum in France. An arrest warrant has been issued towards him as he’s at the moment absconding.

Mofizur Rahman Ashiq, a former joint secretary of Chhatra Dal, has been accused as the primary perpetrator on this case. Moreover, Mushfiqul Fazal Ansari, the deputy press secretary of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has been requested to be exempted from accountability on this case because of a scarcity of particular proof.

Sub-Inspector Mohammad Rahat Hossain of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC), who’s the investigating officer of the case, knowledgeable the media that, based mostly on prima facie proof, he filed the cost sheet towards the 2 people a month in the past. He really helpful exempting certainly one of them because of inadequate concrete proof. Witnesses are anticipated to testify publicly in court docket to substantiate the information.

Based on court docket sources, Deputy Inspector Mohammad Rahat Hossain, the investigating officer of the case, filed the cost sheet in court docket on March 7. The cost sheet contains 17 individuals as witnesses. Final Thursday, the case was transferred to the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal for trial proceedings. Mofizur, one of many accused, is at the moment out on bail in reference to this case.

As acknowledged within the chargesheet, the accused people are acquainted with one another and have constantly engaged in disseminating provocative content material at completely different junctures, aiming to undermine the nation’s integrity and sovereignty. Pinaki Bhattacharya, one of many accused, is alleged to be actively propagating baseless and inflammatory data by way of his Fb web page and ID. He continues to unfold rumors and false narratives on social media platforms, evidently desiring to foment unrest and instability inside the nation. It’s noteworthy that Pinaki boasts a considerable following, with over 1.6 million subscribers on social media, significantly YouTube.

The case additional alleges that Mofizur Rahman Ashiq, one of many accused, has tarnished the state’s picture and status by disseminating false and misleading data and pictures by way of pretend identities, whereas additionally casting doubt on legislation enforcement companies. Such actions are deemed more likely to exacerbate the legislation and order scenario sooner or later. Moreover, Mofizur forwarded these deceptive photos to Pinaki to amplify their attain. Nevertheless, no proof was found to substantiate the case towards the opposite accused, Mushfiqul Fazal Ansari.

On October 15, 2022, Sub-Inspector M Abdullahil Maruf of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Division inside the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) lodged a case towards three people, together with Pinaki Bhattacharya, on the Ramna police station within the capital metropolis. The opposite accused people named within the case are Mofizur Rahman and Mushfiqul Fazal Ansari.

Who’s Pinaki Bhattacharya?

Pinaki Bhattacharya confronted familial rejection after leaving Hinduism to embrace Islam beneath the affect of Tablighi Jamaat. His father, Shyamal Bhattacharya, a faculty instructor and author, severed ties with him because of his non secular conversion. Born in Bogra district, Bangladesh, Pinaki graduated from Rajshahi Medical Faculty in 1992, recognized for its affiliation with Jamaat-e-Islami.

His spouse, additionally a doctor, distanced herself upon studying of his ties with Islamist teams and the ISI. In Bangladesh, Pinaki operated a pharmaceutical manufacturing unit, purportedly producing life-saving medicine however was concerned in manufacturing illicit substances like ‘Yaba’ tablets. These unlawful actions led him to flee to France, the place he falsely claimed political persecution by the Awami League. Exploiting his asylum standing, he continued his unlawful actions, coercing feminine employees into sexual relations whereas operating contraband drugs operations.

Pinaki Bhattacharya has initiated a unfavourable marketing campaign concentrating on Bangladesh’s pleasant neighboring nation, India. By means of video campaigns laden with false and fabricated data, he’s falsely attributing his content material to the Bangladesh authorities, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and leaders of the ruling Awami League at numerous echelons. Following Awami League’s fourth consecutive victory within the latest elections and subsequent formation of the federal government on January 7, 2024, Pinaki, recognized as a paid agent of the BNP, has intensified his promotion of the ‘India Out’ and ‘Indian Product Boycott’ actions. He disseminates anti-Hindu and anti-India rhetoric by way of his private YouTube channel and Fb web page.