The Dhaka Metropolitan Police in the Bangladeshi capital have reportedly arrested an Instagram influencer over allegations of producing and selling p*rnographic content online.
The Cyber and Special Crime Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police detained 25-year-old Sumaiya Saeed in the affluent Bashundhara Residential Area in the city’s northern part.
According to the authorities, the suspect’s father has been identified as an accomplice in the case for accepting illegal money earned through her online activities.
Authorities have not yet revealed what charges will be filed against the suspects, whether they will be brought before a court, whether they seized any electronic devices or financial documents during the raid, or whether they have hired a lawyer.
The Cyber and Special Crime Division falls under the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. It is one of several agencies in Bangladesh responsible for investigating cybercrimes, including the Cyber Police Center of the Criminal Investigation Department and the cyber division of the Police Bureau of Investigation.
There is a growing trend of cases related to the circulation of explicit content on social media and messaging platforms in Bangladesh.
In October 2025, the Criminal Investigation Department detained a couple in Bandarban for producing and publishing explicit videos online and recruiting other people for doing so, which is considered to be a crime under the cybercrime laws of the country. The Daily Star reported. According to the agency, the couple released about 112 videos since May 2024 that have been viewed over 26 million times worldwide; they published the videos on Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram, and offered money incentives for referring new performers.
Cases like these are usually investigated under the P*rnography Control Act, the 2012 law that makes it illegal to produce, distribute, and sell explicit material in Bangladesh. In a different case in 2020, a man who blackmailed women using fake explicit pictures was charged with violating this law following his detention by a counterterrorism unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
Violations of this law may lead to imprisonment and fines; there are even stiffer penalties when minors are involved.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police has not yet commented on how long the suspect has been under investigation or whether it is searching for other suspects.
