BrownFish Studio, founded by content creator Salman Mohammad Muqtadir, was attacked, vandalised and allegedly looted late Saturday, 26 September mid-night in Dhaka’s ECB Chattar area.

The studio, located inside the New Gini Properties development, suffered extensive damage to professional production equipment, furniture and CCTV cameras. Reports said a group of around 100 to 150 people entered the premises at around 10:30pm and later broke into the studio.

A studio employee alleged that some of the attackers were carrying firearms and sharp weapons. Two employees reportedly took shelter inside a toilet, but the attackers allegedly followed them there and took their mobile phones and wallets.

Salman later posted a video on his verified Facebook page showing the condition of the studio. He said none of his employees had been injured in the incident.

Salman alleged that the attack was connected to an extortion dispute involving the landowner of the housing project. He clarified, however, that no one had personally demanded extortion money from him. According to his account, the studio may have been caught in the middle of a dispute involving the project’s landowner.

In a video addressed to Home Affairs Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Salman said the incident demonstrated how security can become uncertain for people who do not politically align themselves with powerful groups. He also vowed to rebuild and create something bigger after the destruction.

In another video, Salman accused local BNP activists of involvement and alleged extortion. That political allegation has not been independently verified. Police have not publicly identified the attackers as members of any political party.

Cantonment Police Station Officer-in-Charge Muhammad Gias Uddin gave a different account of the incident. He said an office in the ECB area was attacked over a dispute related to land occupation. Police responded after receiving the report, brought the situation under control and detained two people from the scene with knives. Legal proceedings are underway, he said.

The studio reportedly had at least 29 CCTV cameras, all of which were damaged in the attack. BrownFish Studio was designed for podcasts, commercials, photography, technology projects, automotive shoots, reels, films and music productions.

The full extent of the financial loss has not yet been established. Salman said he could recover financially, but expressed greater concern about the psychological impact of the incident on his employees.

The competing accounts—Salman’s allegation of an extortion-related attack and the police description of a land-occupation dispute—leave the precise motive and the identities of those responsible to be established through investigation.

//DigiBanglaTech/ SME/ CPM/MIST//