Officials Claim Psychological Distress and Hacked Phone Amid Social Media Fallout
Assistant Commissioner (Land) Arrests Controversy Over Facebook Posts Targeting Upazila Nirbahi Officer
- Jamalganj AC Land Arifur Rahman posted on Facebook declaring his resignation and blaming UNO Shilpi Rani Modak for his death
- Following erratic behavior and hospitalization in Sylhet, he was transferred to Dhaka for advanced medical care
- The Upazila administration later claimed his social media account was hacked, though local observ
A wave of widespread discussion and concern erupted after Arifur Rahman, Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Sunamganj's Jamalganj upazila, made two consecutive posts on his personal Facebook profile stating, "Artist Rani Modak (UNO) will be responsible for my death" and "I resign from Admin Cadre". Following the posts around 11:45 PM on Friday, police and local individuals rushed to his residence, and he was subsequently admitted to a private hospital in Sylhet in critical condition before being shifted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital and later taken to Dhaka by his family.
Jamalganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shilpi Rani Modak stated that the AC (Land) was mentally unwell. On the night of the incident, Arifur Rahman and his wife had attended the birthday cake-cutting ceremony for the UNO's three-year-old daughter, and the posts were made shortly after they left the residence. According to the UNO, Arifur had been deeply distressed and behaving abnormally since witnessing the drowning death of a child in Jamalganj three days prior. She noted that he had even assaulted an-Ansari member and behaved inappropriately with people on the street that night.
Jamalganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Bande Ali stated that Arifur appeared mentally unstable upon arrival at the scene, and despite administering sleeping pills as per his wife's request, his condition did not improve, prompting his late-night transfer to Sylhet. Following the incident, the AC (Land)'s official phone number remained switched off, and the Jamalganj Upazila administration's page claimed that his account had been hacked. By Saturday afternoon, UNO Shilpi Rani Modak informed journalists that the AC (Land)'s mobile phone was hacked and requested the public not to be confused, while the Jamalganj police station launched an investigation into the hacking claim. The lack of initial verification regarding the social media posts also drew criticism from local civil society circles.
//DBTech//BTR/MSI/SMP//
