More than eight months have passed since Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman’s X account was allegedly hacked. During the investigation into the case filed over the incident, the Detective Branch (DB) of police has written to the complainant’s side at least three times, seeking the mobile phone used by the Jamaat chief and other relevant devices.
The court has also granted permission to seize the devices for its forensic examination. However, the devices have yet to be handed over to the investigators.
Investigators say forensic examination of the relevant devices is crucial to investigating the alleged hacking. It could help establish when, where and how the account was accessed. It could also reveal login or session data, as well as evidence of malware or phishing.
Without the devices, investigators have been unable to find answers to several major questions.
However, Md Sirajul Islam, the complainant in the case on behalf of the Jamaat ameer, told Prothom Alo that they were not refusing to hand over the devices. They had concerns about device security, he said. The issue had been discussed with the DB twice, and they had also discussed having the devices examined in their presence.
Letters sent with court’s permission
The case is being investigated by the Cyber and Special Crime-South unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s DB. The investigating officer has written to complainant Sirajul Islam seeking the devices and other evidence. The letter also explained that the items needed to be seized and forensically examined for the purposes of the investigation.
Hafizul Islam, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of the Cyber and Special Crime Division, told Prothom Alo that, with court permission, the complainant’s side had been sent at least three letters seeking the devices and information. However, the complainant’s side had yet to hand them over.
Hafizul Islam could not specify when the most recent letter was sent to the complainant or when the court granted permission for the forensic examination.
Court records show that, following the IO’s application, the court on 6 April approved the request to seize the devices and conduct forensic examinations. According to court sources, 3 November has been set as the date for submission of the investigation report.
Asked whether the complainant’s side had been given any assurances over its concerns about device security, ADC Hafizul Islam referred Prothom Alo to the complainant’s side for an answer.
Complainant’s side wants examination in its presence
Complainant Sirajul Islam told Prothom Alo, “Following the DB’s letters, we met with them twice. It is not that we are refusing to hand over the devices. We are concerned about the devices and their security. We have discussed the matter.”
Speaking on the proposed examination, Sirajul Islam said, “Suppose we hand over the devices. What guarantees will there be for their security? We have said that they must be checked in our presence. These matters have been discussed.”
The complainant added that they had submitted some documents based on their own research when filing the case. They had also provided documents suggesting that the hacking might have originated from an entity involved in maintaining government servers.
Suspect’s devices returned, forensic report still pending
Although the complainant’s side has yet to hand over its devices, the DB has seized and searched the mobile phone, laptop and desktop computer used by one of the accused, Mohammad Sarwar Alam, an assistant programmer at Bangabhaban, the President’s Office.
Sarwar Alam said some devices used by his family members had also been seized. They were returned after searches conducted over a period of nearly a month.
Asked whether any evidence had been found on the seized devices, the IO told Prothom Alo that the forensic report had not yet been received.
The IO further said that early in the investigation, the authorities had also written to X (formerly Twitter) authorities seeking detailed information, but no update had arrived from the platform either.
The officer said it would be possible to comment on the findings only after the reports were received.
Sarwar awaits conclusion of investigation
Sarwar Alam, who was arrested in connection with the case and later released on bail, has maintained from the outset that he is innocent.
He says he was not involved in hacking Shafiqur Rahman’s X account. According to Sarwar, although police examined the devices he used, no evidence linking him to the incident has so far been found. The IO, however, says the forensic report is still pending.
Investigators say forensic examination of the relevant devices is crucial to investigating the alleged hacking. It could help establish when, where and how the account was accessed. It could also reveal login or session data, as well as evidence of malware or phishing.
“They have repeatedly sent letters to the Jamaat leaders, asking for the mobile phone so they can examine it. They are not handing it over. If they had provided their devices, the matter would have been resolved by now,” Sarwar Alam told Prothom Alo.
“They are leaders of the Opposition. If they do not cooperate with the investigation, I will remain in limbo like this. I want justice. If the investigation is conducted properly, I will get justice,” he added.
Sarwar also expressed concern about his career, as he has been unable to return to work since being suspended after being implicated in the case.
He said only a few months remained before the end of his service. If the investigation dragged on, he feared he could lose out on pension and other financial benefits linked to his employment.
“I have been unable to return to work after being suspended. I am being made a scapegoat,” Sarwar said.
The post at the centre of the case
On the afternoon of 31 January, a post in English appeared on the Jamaat ameer’s X account. One section of the post read, “We believe that when women are pushed out of the home in the name of modernity, they are exposed to exploitation, moral decay and insecurity. It’s nothing but another form of prostitution.”
The post triggered widespread debate and criticism on social media, which later spilled onto the streets in the form of protests. The BNP and various other political parties and organisations accused the Jamaat chief of grossly insulting working women.
Jamaat later claimed that the post had been published after the ameer’s X account was hacked using a government email account. A general diary was filed initially, followed by a case. The accused include Mohammad Sarwar Alam, an assistant programmer at the President’s Office, and 15 to 20 unidentified individuals.
The DB detained Sarwar on the night of 3 February and seized his mobile phone and laptop. The following day, the DB said he had been formally shown as arrested in the case. However, he was granted bail by the court that same day.
Call for cooperation with investigation
Omar Faruk Faruqi, public prosecutor at the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court, told Prothom Alo that investigators must receive the necessary evidence from the complainant’s side and that everyone involved has a duty to cooperate with the investigation.
“Care must be taken to ensure that no innocent person is subjected to harassment,” he added.
More than eight months after the hacking allegation emerged, the relevant devices belonging to the complainant’s side have still not undergone forensic examination. The necessary information has also yet to arrive from X. As a result, central questions remain unanswered: whether unauthorised access to the account occurred, how it happened if it did, and whether Sarwar Alam had any involvement in the incident.