2 remanded, 8 denied bail over Deepfake fraud using Azhari’s identity

A Dhaka court on Tuesday placed two youths on a two-day remand and denied bail to eight others in a case filed over producing and circulating deepfake videos using the identity of Islamic speaker Dr Mizanur Rahman Azhari to commit fraud.

The accused, Sarafat Hossain, 24 and Shafayet Hossain Shuvo, 21, were remanded by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain Muhammad Junaid after police sought a 10-day remand for 10 suspects.

The court granted remand for the two, while rejecting remand and bail petitions of the remaining eight accused and sending them to jail.

According to the case statement, the suspects used artificial intelligence and deepfake technology to replicate Azhari’s face and voice in fake promotional videos to market various products.

They allegedly operated around 24 fake Facebook pages and websites, luring customers into placing orders and collecting money through cash-on-delivery courier services.

The case was filed with Paltan Model Police Station on April 23. The accused were later arrested in a joint drive in Chattogram.

MAL/AM