TDS Desk:

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Sunday said further investigation was needed into the vandalism at content creator Salman Muqtadir’s studio in the capital, while police had found that Muqtadir was a victim in the incident.

Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Sunday afternoon, the minister said legal procedures for filing a general diary or case were under way and a case could be filed soon.

The home minister said the vandalism took place at one of Salman Muqtadir’s studios on Saturday night, after which the content creator made several statements about the incident during a Facebook Live session.

According to the minister, Muqtadir said such incidents were common in Bangladesh and described the BNP as an “extortionist party”. He alleged that his studio had been vandalised because he had refused to pay extortion money.

Salahuddin Ahmed said police had informed him that although Muqtadir made the allegations during his Facebook Live, he had not filed any case so far.

The minister also said Muqtadir himself had stated that nobody had demanded extortion money from him and that he would have paid if anyone had asked for it.

As a result, the minister said, it had not yet been established against whom the allegation of demanding extortion money had been made.

Salahuddin Ahmed said the incident took place in Manikdi Namapara under Cantonment Police Station, where a dispute over around 35 per cent of land was ongoing between two parties. One side was a developer company and the other was a retired senior military officer.

According to preliminary investigation findings, some people allegedly went to occupy the land at night on behalf of the retired military officer, and vandalism took place there.

The minister said Salman Muqtadir had a tin-shed structure within the premises, where various types of content were presumably produced, and that the structure was also vandalised.

He said an initial investigation into the incident had already been conducted. However, police had said further investigation was needed to establish the details.

Salahuddin Ahmed said no case had yet been filed by Salman Muqtadir’s side and that various statements made by the content creator during his Facebook Live had created controversy over the incident.

The minister said three people had been arrested in connection with the incident. Police also recovered bullet casings, locally made weapons and other evidence from the scene.