Salman Muqtadir was victim in studio vandalism: Home Minister

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said that content creator and influencer Salman Muqtadir was a victim of the vandalism at his studio, according to the police’s preliminary assessment.

However, the minister said a more detailed investigation was needed to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

He added that the legal process for filing a general diary or a case was underway and that a case could be filed soon.

Salahuddin Ahmed made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Sunday afternoon.

According to him, Salman’s studio was  vandalised on Saturday. The content creator later discussed the incident during a Facebook Live session, saying that such incidents had become common in Bangladesh and alleging that his studio was vandalised because he refused to pay extortion money. 

He also referred to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) as an 'extortionist party'.

The home minister said police had informed him that Salman had not yet filed a case despite making the allegations publicly.

''He himself has said that nobody demanded extortion money from him and that he would have paid if anyone had asked for it.''

As a result, Salahuddin Ahmed said, no specific individual or group had so far been identified as having demanded money from Salman.

Salahuddin said the incident took place in Manikdi Namapara under Cantonment Police Station, where a dispute is ongoing over around 35 decimals of land.

The dispute, he said, involves two parties--one a property development company and the other a retired senior military officer.

''According to preliminary investigation findings, some people allegedly went to occupy the land at night on behalf of the retired senior military officer. Vandalism also took place there,” the minister added.