Dhaka: Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni on Thursday urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to remain alert against fraud involving the hacking of their mobile phones, voice cloning, and forged signatures. Speaking on a point of order in Parliament, he asked MPs to remain vigilant about such incidents and said the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has started taking preventive measures to address the problems.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Moni highlighted that there have been reports in newspapers about mobile phone hacking. He mentioned that three MPs informed him that messages were sent from their numbers requesting urgent amounts of Tk 50,000, Tk 30,000, and Tk 25,000. Moni attempted to contact the MPs whose numbers were used, but they did not respond, indicating their mobile numbers may have been hacked.
The Chief Whip emphasized the importance of lawmakers being sufficiently aware of these issues, suggesting that if MPs are informed, the entire country will also become aware through media coverage. He pointed out that fraudsters are also engaging in voice cloning and document forgery, affecting both opposition and ruling party members.
Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal, addressing the Chief Whip's concerns, questioned who should be responsible for preventing such incidents, asserting that the state holds this responsibility. He stated that MPs should not be held accountable for falling victim to digital fraud and urged that preventive measures should be undertaken by the relevant ministry or executive branch.
In response, Chief Whip Moni reiterated that discussions had taken place on Wednesday and confirmed that the BTRC has begun implementing measures to tackle the problem.