Plain-clothes intelligence officers have detained a broadcast journalist in Rangamati alongside a former student politician before transporting both individuals to Dhaka, triggering sharp concern among local media professionals.
Saikat Ranjan Chowdhury, the Rangamati correspondent for the private television network DBC News, was taken into custody on Tuesday afternoon from the Rangamati Hill District Council premises. He was picked up alongside Ali Akbar Sumon, a former general secretary of the Rangamati district unit of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
The detentions took place at approximately 2:30 pm when a team of plain-clothes operatives from the Detective Branch (DB) intercepted the duo and placed them into an unmarked white microbus heading toward the capital.
Cyber Security Case Prompts Cross-District Operation
Police sources confirmed that a specialized DB team traveled from Dhaka to Rangamati to execute an operation involving Ali Akbar Sumon in connection with a lawsuit filed in Dhaka under cyber security legislation.
According to local eyewitnesses and police officials, a heated verbal exchange erupted between journalist Saikat and the intelligence personnel while officers were attempting to apprehend Sumon on the District Council grounds. Following the altercation, detectives detained both men and placed them inside the waiting vehicle.
Rangamati Superintendent of Police Abdur Rokib confirmed that the plain-clothes operation was conducted by DB officers operating out of Dhaka. The vehicle carrying the detainees was reported to be en route to the capital shortly after the incident.
Media Reaction and Official Response
The sudden detention of a working journalist in broad daylight caused immediate alarm among local press corps members in the hill district. Media colleagues expressed deep concern regarding the manner of the arrest and the lack of prior coordination or clear disclosure by the visiting law enforcement unit.
Clarifying the legal basis for the detention, Jasim Uddin, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Rangamati Kotwali Police Station, stated that the reporter was taken into custody under a specific cyber offense case filed in Dhaka.
“Journalist Saikat Ranjan has been arrested and taken to Dhaka by the DB police in connection with a case filed against him under cyber law in Dhaka.”
— Jasim Uddin, Officer-in-Charge, Rangamati Kotwali Police Station
The incident highlights growing scrutiny surrounding law enforcement operations involving political figures and media personnel in regional districts, particularly operations conducted by central intelligence units operating outside their primary territorial jurisdiction. Local journalist associations are closely monitoring developments as both men are transported to Dhaka for formal processing.
