Court orders jail-gate interrogation of ‘influencer’ Sumaiya Saeed

A Dhaka court on Wednesday ordered that Instagram “influencer” Sumaiya Saeed be questioned for one day at the jail gate over allegations of creating, advertising and selling pornographic content through social media.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam passed the order after a hearing, said Prosecution Department Sub-Inspector Shah Alam.

Earlier, on 13 August, DB Cyber and Special Crime South Division Sub-Inspector Md Rashedul Islam, also the investigation officer of the case, produced the accused before the court and sought a three-day remand.

Sumaiya was arrested from a house in the Vatara Police Station area on the night of 11 August. Later, based on information provided by Sumaiya, her alleged main associate, Khaja Saklain Faruk, was arrested from the capital’s Badda area.

A case was filed with Ramna Police Station over the incident under the Pornography Control Act against six people, including arrested accused Sumaiya Saeed and her associate Saklain Faruk. The other accused are Sumaiya’s father, Mohammad Abu Saeed, Salman, Mahatir Md Siam and Shakir Mahmud.

Sources said preliminary interrogation and analysis of information recovered from the seized devices of the accused found initial evidence of their involvement in advertising and selling pornographic content through social media and conducting financial transactions related to the activities.