Photo: Collected
What has been happening recently centring Salman Muqtadir is now no longer confined to the bounds of just an attack on a studio, vandalism or personal loss. His statements one after another, raising allegations of extortion against BNP, later backing away from that position and most recently a direct challenge to the government on a talk show – with the combination of all these, the matter has reached a different dimension. For this reason, getting answers to these questions has now become urgent: what is the real reason behind the attack, how reliable is the basis of his allegations and whether any other party is involved in the incident.
Salman Muqtadir is well known as a content creator. When his ‘Brownfish Studio’ was recently attacked and vandalised, it created widespread discussion across the country. Reactions over it also came in the political arena. Since then, various discussions have been going on on social media – what happened before and after the incident, what the real reason for the attack is and whether any political party was involved with it.
Questions have arisen particularly around Salman’s statements. Coming on Facebook Live after the attack, he had alleged that BNP leaders and activists demanded extortion money from him. However, he later moved away from that statement. Joining journalist Khaled Muhiuddin’s ‘Thikana’ talk show on Monday night, he again made explosive remarks on the matter and threw a challenge to the government.
The manner in which Salman spoke on the talk show has also generated discussion. He claims he has in his hands various kinds of documents and information related to the incident. Alongside, he made harsh comments against BNP and also raised questions about the government’s role. According to his account, he has earned money through his own hard work and all his money is legitimate. He has also said he will not stay in Bangladesh.
In such a situation, the question is arising – why is Salman saying different things at different times about the same incident? Why did he, after raising allegations of extortion against BNP at the beginning, later change that position? And why did he take such a firm stance on the latest talk show? Many think he needs to be interrogated to get answers to these questions. Salman himself has also said the government can summon him if it wants in the interest of the investigation.
Whether there is any specific information, document or direct experience behind his statements also needs to be made clear through investigation. Because if serious allegations are raised against a political party in front of lakhs of people without verification, it can have social and political effects. In particular, whether there is any other reason behind such allegations against BNP within just seven months of its coming to power may also come under the purview of the investigation.
Considering the preliminary investigation of the law enforcement agencies and the political context of the incident, several reasons for interrogating Salman Muqtadir emerge.
At the very outset, it needs to be verified what the basis is of the extortion allegation Salman Muqtadir has raised and whether he has any specific information or evidence in support of it.
On Facebook Live after the attack, Salman’s claim was that extortion money had been demanded from him using the name of BNP. He had alleged that his studio was attacked precisely because he did not pay the extortion money.
On the other hand, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed had said that, according to Salman’s statement, no one demanded extortion money from him directly and he also said he would have paid it if extortion money had been demanded. A case has been filed in this incident, and several persons have been arrested.
As a result, it is urgent to make clear why different kinds of statements came forward about the same incident. The administration may interrogate him and want to know – on the basis of what information he brought the allegation of extortion against BNP, from whom he got the information and what kind of evidence he has in support of the allegation.
The second important matter is to determine the real reason behind the attack.
From the information that has emerged so far in the preliminary investigation of the police and administration, it is assumed that the attack was not mainly aimed at Salman Muqtadir’s studio. There was a long-standing dispute between housing developer New Guinea Properties and a retired military officer over that land beside ECB Chattar in Dhaka. The matter of a dispute over ownership of the land and the access road has also come to the fore.
It has been learnt preliminarily that the attack on the housing project was planned as a sequel to this dispute. During that attack, Salman’s tin-shed studio located in the project area was also damaged.
For this reason, answers to several more questions are needed here. Whether Salman Muqtadir properly verified the land and ownership-related matters before building the studio on the disputed land, whether he knew about the dispute between the parties concerned and whether any party was using him for its own interest – these matters also need to be made clear in the investigation.
Thirdly, answers are needed to the questions that have arisen around the process of filing the case as well.
The home minister had initially said that although Salman Muqtadir discussed the matter extensively on social media, he did not file any specific case with the thana. In contrast, Salman claims he stayed at the thana until the early hours on the very night of the attack and applied to file a case. His allegation is that police did not take the case at first. The case was accepted after the minister’s statement.
In this case, what actually happened at the thana on the night of the incident, when Salman went to the thana, what complaint he made and what kind of damage and allegations were mentioned in the FIR – these matters need to be ascertained through investigation.
The matter may become clearer if his statement to the investigating officers is matched against the thana’s records, the time of filing the case and the statements of the persons concerned.
Fourthly, the impact of the statements Salman Muqtadir has made on social media also needs to be taken into consideration.
He is an influential social media influencer, and the number of his followers is also huge. As a result, his statements reach a large population within a very short time. For this reason, he has been called upon from various levels of the government, including Information Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman, to be more responsible about making statements on social media.
Whether Salman’s statements are having any negative impact on the country’s law and order situation or the political environment also needs to be looked into. At the same time, whether he publicised any information without properly verifying it and, if he did, what the reason for it is – that too may be a subject of the investigation.
However, it also needs to be remembered that Salman Muqtadir is a victim in this incident. The attack took place at his studio, and there are allegations of vandalism and looting of valuable equipment and other items. As a victim, he certainly has the right to get justice.
But alongside, if the investigating agency interrogates him in the interest of uncovering his public statements on the incident, the political allegations and the real reason behind the attack, that may be part of the investigation process itself. Whether he worked on behalf of any third party, or whether any other party made use of his statements or position for its own interest – the answers to these questions too can be found only through investigation.
Meanwhile, the report has mentioned that an inquiry is also under way into the source of Salman Muqtadir’s money. It has been learnt that the intelligence department of Bangladesh Bank is reviewing his bank accounts, account-opening documents and transaction information.
Salman, however, claims all his money is legitimate and white.
Apart from this, the matter of several warehouses of the business of his father-in-law Sheikh Nur Islam being sealed on allegations of keeping duty-free liquor has also come up for discussion. However, both Salman and his father-in-law claim there is no normal relationship between them.
All in all, the situation that has been created centring Salman Muqtadir is now not limited to merely the investigation of an attack. The basis of his allegations, the change of statements, the dispute over the land and road, the process of filing the case, the impact of his statements on social media and financial matters – each aspect has become entangled with another.
For that reason, if he is interrogated, it may be seen not merely as a step taken as a sequel to any political allegation but as part of verifying the truth of the entire incident. What is important now is to match the documents, information and statements in his hands against the other evidence of the investigation. With this, on the one hand the real reason for the attack may become clear, and on the other an opportunity will be created for the basis of the political allegations he raised to become clear as well.
