Recently, content creator Salman Muqtadir's studio was vandalized. Instead of bringing the attackers to justice, the state took the exact opposite path, showing unprecedented activity in the name of ensuring his financial accountability.
The demand for Salman Muqtadir's bank account information has once again proven that the state still lags behind in the culture of tolerating freedom of expression and criticism of differing views. Immediately following the recent vandalism of his studio, the urgent request by the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) within just one hour to demand all his banking information has sparked intense questions and concern among the public.
Recently, content creator Salman Muqtadir's studio was vandalized. Instead of bringing the attackers to justice, the state took the exact opposite path, showing unprecedented activity in the name of ensuring his financial accountability.
Such a rare instance of requesting KYC, account statements, and TDS-related information via the GoAML message board within just one hour is uncommon. Moving beyond the regular bank transaction investigation process, this kind of immediate step raises fears of the abuse of state power.
Conscious citizens and netizens of the country believe that this step has been taken to marginalize content creators who speak out against any government policy or decision.
When the rush to target someone for expressing their opinion outweighs the effort to catch criminals, the rule of law is threatened. In a democratic state, criticizing the government is a fundamental right of citizens. However, recent events show that simply criticizing policymakers or the system leads to frozen bank accounts or various forms of harassment.
While investigations into crimes like corruption or money laundering remain pending for years, sensitive agencies like the BFIU spring into action within hours as soon as a popular creator makes a critical video about the government. This dual policy questions the neutrality of the law.
Analysts believe that behind the demand for Salman Muqtadir's bank accounts, there is less economic investigation and more of an intention to spread fear among other content creators. As a result, a kind of self-censorship may develop in the media and creative spheres.
In a democratic and progressive state, this tendency to silence dissent or critics is by no means a good sign. Instead of securing justice for the vandalism of Salman Muqtadir's studio, this incident of applying state pressure on him is an obstacle to independent journalism and creativity. The government should abandon vindictive behavior and ensure freedom of speech and equal application of the law for all citizens.
It is reported that letters regarding this matter were sent to all banks and financial institutions in the country on Wednesday, September 30. Officials of several banks confirmed the receipt of the letter.
In an e-mail message sent to various banks across the country, it was requested to provide Salman Muqtadir's account information, Account Opening Form (AOF), Know Your Customer (KYC) details, and account statements.
In that e-mail message sent at 10:38 AM on that day, mentioning the name of Salman Mohammad Muqtadir, the concerned banks were instructed to provide the information on an urgent basis. It was also noted that the message was high-priority.
Regarding this matter, the Prime Minister's Advisor on Information and Broadcasting, Zahed Ur Rahman, stated that he hopes content creators like Salman Muqtadir, along with others who have widespread recognition and viral popularity, will be more responsible in the future.
