BASIS Urges Fair Investigation into Bitopia Group, Calls for Freelance Governance Framework

DHAKA: Urging an impartial inquiry while upholding natural justice and protecting the country's multi-million-dollar outsourcing reputation, the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) has demanded a transparent investigation into systemic allegations surfaced against Bitopia Group. The accusations encompass non-consensual use of personal identities, profile hijacking, illicit marketplace manipulation, artificial reviews, and breaches of international platform terms of service.

The trade association declared its formal stance at a press briefing convened at the BASIS Secretariat in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka, on Saturday, 26 September 2026. Reading the written keynote, BASIS Support Committee Member and Chairman of Trust-IT (BD) Ltd., Engr. Mohammad Jewel, emphasized that while definitive guilt cannot be assigned ahead of institutional investigation, the gravity of the allegations demands immediate administrative scrutiny.

BASIS underscored that it strictly condemns identity impersonation, forged credentialing, account farming, and marketplace deceit. The leadership declared that if the accused entities hold BASIS credentials and primary inquiries substantiate structural non-compliance, the association will serve show-cause notices and temporarily suspend organizational membership. BASIS affirmed full readiness to furnish institutional data, membership registries, and archival documentation to statutory law enforcement and state regulatory investigators.

Addressing the plight of impacted professionals, Engr. Mohammad Jewel outlined the setup of an institutional 'Complaint & Evidence Collection' desk. The platform will securely archive evidence from past employees, contractors, and independent freelancers whose National Identity Cards (NID), passports, or platform credentials were reportedly weaponized or retained without consent, ensuring comprehensive anonymity and whistleblower protection.

Beyond corporate scrutiny, the press briefing highlighted deep structural vulnerabilities across Bangladesh's gig economy. Pointing out the regulatory void surrounding the ownership of platform profiles, corporate data stewardship over personal identity documents, and agency account proliferation limits, BASIS proposed formulating a comprehensive 'National Freelancing & Marketplace Governance Framework' in coordination with the government. The association reiterated that systemic hurdles such as inward payment gateways, banking frictions, foreign exchange regulations, and tax ambiguities must be permanently reformed.

The briefing concluded with an appeal to global platforms and international clients, emphasizing that isolated corporate irregularities should not tarnish the credibility of hundreds of thousands of ethical, proficient Bangladeshi freelancers.

The conference was attended by BASIS Support Committee Members Engr. Abdullah Ibne Nurul Islam, Md. Ahsan Habib, Engr. Ferdous Alam, Md. Fuad Hasan, and Md. Rashed Ul Hoque Sarker.

//DBTech/MIR SME/BTOP//