Court Grants Bail to Bangabhaban Programmer in Jamaat Amir X Account Hacking Case

A Dhaka court has granted bail to Mohammad Sarwar Alam, an assistant programmer at Bangabhaban, who was arrested in a case filed under the Cyber Security Ordinance over allegations of hacking the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Jamaat-e-Islami amir. The case was filed with Hatirjheel Police Station in the capital.

On Thursday, 5 February, Dhaka Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain Muhammad Junaid passed the order after hearing arguments from both sides.

Sarwar Alam’s counsel Alamgir Hossain submitted a bail petition on his behalf, while the complainant’s lawyer Abdur Razzaq opposed the bail and argued for its rejection. After hearing both sides, the court reserved its order and, about an hour later, granted bail.

During the hearing, complainant’s lawyer Abdur Razzaq alleged that Sarwar had acted as a “remnant of an authoritarian regime” and questioned why he would hack the account of a respected figure like the Jamaat amir. He claimed the act was carried out to create disorder in the country and to incite public sentiment, particularly among female voters, by deliberately posting content under the name of the Jamaat amir.

Addressing the investigation officer in court, the complainant’s lawyer further argued that remand should have been sought, stating that even in minor theft cases, remand is often requested. He alleged that the accused acted with the intention of creating chaos and insisted that custodial interrogation was necessary.

The state prosecutor (PP) told the court that since there were specific allegations against Sarwar Alam, he should be sent to jail custody, adding that remand could be sought later if required. The prosecutor argued that the absence of a remand request on the day of the hearing should not be grounds for granting bail.

Speaking before the court, the accused Sarwar Alam said, “I am stating this consciously—I am only a few days away from retirement. At this age, I have never done anything like this, nor have I ever imagined it. I have provided everything to the police for investigation. Let them investigate and see if they find anything. I am claiming one hundred percent innocence.”

When asked by the court where he was arrested from, Sarwar replied that he was detained from his residence around 10:00 pm the night before last.

After the hearing, Sarwar’s wife Shamim Ara told the court that her husband was completely innocent. She said he had served in government employment with honour for 32 years and questioned the logic of a hacker using his own address to commit such an act. She added that her husband had never been involved in politics.

“He has worked here for many years. If he were involved in politics, it would have been evident during the past 17 years or even before that,” she said. “His routine was limited to office work and household errands. Now he is nearing retirement. Would any sensible person knowingly destroy his own life?”

According to the case statement, Mohammad Sarwar Alam, an assistant programmer at the President’s Office, along with 15 to 20 unidentified individuals, allegedly hacked the official X account of Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Dr Shafiqur Rahman at around 5:00 pm on 31 January. The hackers reportedly posted objectionable content spreading misogyny, obscenity, ethnic violence, hatred, and incitement to unrest. The account was recovered shortly afterward.

Following the incident, Md Sirajul Islam, a member of the party’s election management committee, filed a case under the Cyber Security Ordinance at Hatirjheel Police Station on Wednesday.

DBTech/BNN/EMM/OR