Bangla Press Desk: Police have arrested a man in Chattogram’s Patiya who they believe used his academic background in computer science to doctor images with top politicians, including the prime minister and home minister, to defraud the public.
Riyad Bin Selim, 40, whom police described as a “professional fraudster”, was apprehended on Saturday night from Paikpara of Patiya municipality.
During the drive, officers seized a walkie-talkie and several fake identity cards, including those of a “protocol officer” for the Ministry of Home Affairs and the “Chairperson Security Force”.
Riyad would show photos of himself with top political figures to gain trust and deceive people, said Nazmul Hasan, additional DIG of Chattogram Range.
“Riyad has obtained a diploma in computer science from a private institution. He may have created the images using artificial intelligence,” he said.
The arrest followed a case filed by an individual named Kamrul Hasan.
According to police, Riyad initially took Tk 215,000 from Kamrul by promising to secure him bail in a case.
When he failed to deliver, he allegedly demanded an additional Tk 1.5 million, promising Kamrul a job at the home ministry instead.
Detectives noted that Riyad’s social media presence was central to his deception.
On Mar 16, he posted a video on his Facebook profile, “Lion Riyad Selim” showing police standing outside a building.
He claimed it was a protocol detail assigned to him by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed.
On the same day, he shared images showing him standing beside Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, as well as photos of himself walking with and shaking hands with the home minister.
