Sonali Bank officer harassment: Legal notice to remove content

Bangla Press Desk:  A legal notice has been issued seeking legal action against those involved in the harassment of a female Sonali Bank officer in Kotalipara, Gopalganj, the removal of derogatory content circulating online, and the formulation of a national policy on cybersecurity.

The notice was issued on Sunday by Supreme Court lawyer Muhammad Anisuzzaman on behalf of Arif Sheikh, a resident of Chitshi village in Kotalipara.

The notice names the secretary and additional secretary (broadcasting) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; the secretary and additional secretary (administration) of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; the chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC); the director general of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC); and the chief information officer of the Press Information Department (PID) as respondents.

According to the notice, around 11:30am on Sept 10, Sonali Bank officer Fawzia Haque was performing her duties at the bank’s Kotalipara branch in Gopalganj when a group of people identifying themselves as “mobile journalists” and “online content creators” entered the branch.

The notice said that while the bank officer was counting money before accepting a deposit slip for a customer depositing Tk 500,000, a discrepancy of Tk 4,500 arose. Taking this as a pretext, the individuals allegedly began broadcasting live from their Facebook page without permission. They asked the female officer aggressive questions and subjected her to cyberbullying and social harassment.

The notice further alleged that the recorded video was deliberately edited and distorted before being circulated on various social media platforms, internet platforms and several news outlets.

The notice described the incident as a direct obstruction of government duties and a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

It called for immediate criminal proceedings against those involved and urged the BTRC and NTMC to take necessary measures to block or remove the derogatory content from digital platforms.

It also called for clear national guidelines and policies to prevent unauthorised entry into banks, financial institutions and sensitive government offices; unauthorised video recording; indiscriminate Facebook Live broadcasts; and cyberbullying.

The notice warned that if effective measures are not taken within seven days of receiving the notice, a writ petition will be filed against the respondents at their own expense.Bangla Press Desk: