DHAKA — A technical officer serving at the President’s Office (Bangabhaban) remains in the custody of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Detective Branch (DB) as investigators scramble to verify claims of a high-profile cyberattack on the leadership of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Mohammad Sarowar Alam, an assistant programmer, was picked up by detectives at midnight on Tuesday from his residence in the Rajarbagh area. While he has been under interrogation for nearly 20 hours, law enforcement officials stated Wednesday evening that no formal charges have yet been filed.
The Incident: A Post That Sparked Outrage
The controversy erupted on Saturday afternoon when a post appeared on the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman.
The statement—written in English—characterized women’s participation in the modern workforce as a catalyst for "moral decay" and "insecurity," even comparing such professional engagement to "prostitution."
The post triggered immediate condemnation from civil society, women’s rights groups, and political rivals, including the BNP, who labeled the remarks as "misogynistic" and "humiliating to working women."
The "Phishing" Defense
In a swift damage-control move, Jamaat-e-Islami held an emergency press conference at its Moghbazar headquarters. The party’s IT specialists presented a technical walkthrough, claiming:
The Breach: A malicious file disguised as "election-related data" was sent to the party's email.
The Source: The email allegedly originated from assistantprogrammer@bangabhaban.gov.bd, the official government account of Sarowar Alam.
The Target: Once the file was opened, the X accounts of the Ameer and several other senior leaders were purportedly compromised.
The Investigation: Was the Official Framed?
The Detective Branch is now investigating whether Sarowar Alam was the perpetrator or a victim. An anonymous DB source indicated that preliminary digital forensics suggests Alam’s own government email may have been compromised earlier. This raises the possibility that a third-party hacker used the prestigious .gov.bd domain to lend credibility to the phishing attempt.
"His laptop and mobile are being analyzed," said Additional Commissioner (DB) Shafiul Islam. "We are proceeding with caution before making a final decision on his involvement."
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