A young man has been apprehended by the Rapid Action Battalion for allegedly exploiting a romantic relationship to secretly capture intimate videos and photographs of a woman, and subsequently demanding money under threat of uploading the media to the internet. The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Rafid Sikdar, is the sole named accused in a formal pornography case filed at Keraniganj Model police station.
According to official statements, Rafid resides in the Elephant Road area under the capital’s NewMarket police station, and is the son of Mujibullah Sikdar. Details of the operation were disclosed in a press release issued on Tuesday, signed by Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Tapan Sarkar, who serves as the assistant director of media for RAB-10.
Investigators revealed that the 18-year-old victim, a resident of Keraniganj, had a prior acquaintance with the suspect which facilitated regular communication between them. Taking advantage of their growing closeness and trust, Rafid surreptitiously recorded private pictures and intimate moments of the young woman without her consent. He then leveraged this material to exert severe psychological pressure, demanding financial sums and threatening to broadcast the private footage across social media platforms and public online forums if his financial demands were ignored.
Despite the victim pleading with him to halt the harassment and refrain from such activities, the extortion continued unabated, increasing the psychological toll on the young woman. The victim eventually confided in her family members regarding the ordeal, and following family discussions, resolved to pursue legal recourse.
The situation escalated further between 21:00 and 22:00 on 11 April, when Rafid reportedly renewed his threats and sent previously captured private files to her again. Driven to seek formal protection, the victim lodged a complaint at Keraniganj Model police station under the Pornography Control Act. The investigating officer subsequently forwarded a formal requisition letter to the commanding officer of RAB-10 requesting operational assistance in apprehending the suspect.
Acting on this requisition, elite battalion units deployed intelligence surveillance and information technology to track Rafid’s movements and locate his hideout. Building on these digital leads, an operational team from the RAB-10 CPC-1 Lalbagh camp launched a targeted raid based on confidential tips. The team successfully intercepted and arrested Rafid Sikdar near the Azimpur bus terminal at approximately 20:50 on Monday.
Following his capture, the accused was handed over to the local police station to face further legal proceedings as stipulated by the law. Authorities continue to highlight that digital harassment, blackmail, and unauthorized sharing or threatening to share intimate media constitute serious criminal offenses that cause prolonged psychological trauma. Law enforcement agencies strongly advise victims of such cyber crimes not to yield to coercive demands or remain silent due to social apprehension, but rather to confide in trusted family members immediately and preserve digital evidence such as threatening messages, call logs, and media files to assist criminal investigations.
