Dhaka: The Cyber Police Center (CPC) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested an app and website developer on charges of illegally collecting and selling highly sensitive personal information of citizens. The arrestee Md. Arman Hossain, 22, is the son of Abdul Mannan of Uttar Rahimpur village under Dewanganj Police Station in Jamalpur district. He is a student of the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department of a private university.
According to United News of Bangladesh, on October 9, 2025, a Facebook ID named ‘Siam Howlader’ came under observation during routine online monitoring by the Cyber Monitoring Cell of CID headquarters. The account was allegedly promoting the sale of sensitive data, including National Identity Card (NID) information, SMS records, mobile financial service (MFS) account details (bKash, Rocket, Nagad), bank account information, and case-related data in exchange for money.
Following an investigation, CID arrested Md. Siam Howlader, 23, from the Kamalnagar Police Station area in Lakshmipur on October 13, 2025. During the arrest, a mobile phone, SIM card, hard disk, and other digital evidence were seized. An Android application named ‘Sob Akhane’ was also found on his device. During preliminary interrogation, he reportedly admitted to collecting and selling citizens’ sensitive information through the app and an associated website.
A case was subsequently filed at Paltan Model Police Station on October 14, 2025, by CID Sub-Inspector Mehedi Hasan. Based on information provided by the accused, another suspect, Md. Al Amin, 23, identified as an admin of the network, was arrested from Koyra in Khulna on October 28. He later gave a confessional statement under Section 164, claiming he was involved only in marketing activities while the system and applications were developed by a skilled programmer.
Following continued investigation, CID conducted a raid on May 5, 2026, in the Manikdi area under Cantonment Police Station in Dhaka and arrested Arman Hossain. During the operation, police seized three mobile phones, six SIM cards (including three bKash merchant SIMs), and a laptop. The accused has been produced before the court with a remand petition.
CID said the investigation is ongoing to identify all individuals involved in the network. The agency also urged the public to remain cautious about fraudulent online offers and illegal data trading activities.