Bogura face verification racket: Passport photos, biometric data collected illegally

Hossain Ali was supposed to receive Tk 5,000 to Tk 7,000. He also needed the money. His wife, Amena Begum, is suffering from a brain tumour. They were supposed to go to India for treatment. Both husband and wife had obtained passports. But due to a lack of money, the trip ultimately did not happen.

About three months ago, 25-year-old Saikat Islam of Rahimabad area in Bogura's Shajahanpur upazila and his associate Mamun told Hossain that they would get Tk 5,000 to Tk 7,000 if they provided photos of both their passports. Thinking of his sick wife's treatment, Hossain Ali agreed. Saikat and Mamun took him and his wife to a warehouse near the Demajani Bridge in the same upazila. There, photos of both were taken. Face verification was done. Photos of the husband and wife's passports were also taken. Although they were supposed to be paid after the work was done, they were sent home without any money. Although it has been about three months since that incident, Saikat has still not paid him.

Hossain, a betel leaf trader from Rahimabad village in Bogura's Shajahanpur upazila, is now not just waiting for money. He fears where his and his wife's passport photos, facial photos and face verification information have gone.

Hossain Ali's story is not an isolated incident. Similar allegations have been received from several others. Some of them received a small amount of money, while others received nothing. Everyone's complaint involves photos, passport information and face verification. Those involved in such activities have been accused of illegally collecting and trafficking personal and biometric information.

About two months ago, Saikat also took photos and passport photos from tea shop owner Mohammad Ali of the Aria Bazar area. In return, he was supposed to be paid about Tk 1,000. But Saikat did not pay that money either.

It was learned that not only Mohammad Ali but also his son Shamim became involved in this activity.

Shamim said that on Saikat's word, he had taken five people to Saikat. He was supposed to be paid Tk 500 for each. But in the end, Saikat gave him Tk 1,000.

Milon Hossain and Elias Hossain of Ariabazar said that about three months ago, their passport photos were taken and face verification was done. Each of them was supposed to be paid Tk 1,500, but they did not receive that money.

Their complaint is that Saikat and Mamun collected passport photos of not just them but many other people in this way. Voter ID cards were also taken and face verification was done.

It was alleged that on July 19, Saikat Islam and his three associates took three school students to his home by deception. At Saikat's home, they were made to change out of their school uniforms, photographed and subjected to face verification.

The day after the incident, on July 20, a guardian of one of the affected students filed a written complaint with Shajahanpur Police Station.

Following the complaint, police detained Saikat on July 21 and took him to the police station. At that time, Saikat admitted to his illegal activities. He also gave a written undertaking that he would not engage in such activities in the future.

Regarding the allegations, Saikat Islam told Views Bangladesh that he used to illegally work on passport-related matters and face verification online.

However, he claimed that police once took him to the police station, and since then he is no longer involved in such activities.

However, several locals said Saikat is still carrying out illegal activities online. He now brings people from outside the area very secretly.

On the morning of September 21, nine students of Mohipur Colony Government Primary School in Bogura's Sherpur upazila were called. They were taken to an abandoned poultry farm in the Rahimabad area of Shajahanpur.

There, they were allegedly illegally subjected to face verification. After the incident became known, there was an uproar in the area.

Asked about the allegations, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sherpur Police Station SM Moinuddin told Views Bangladesh that a decision has been taken regarding the incident of photographing school students and face verification. Legal action will be taken very soon in this incident on the instructions of higher authorities.

An investigation revealed that people of various ages, including school students, have been brought to that poultry farm not just on September 21 but for the past three months. They were taken there and briefly filmed. They were then subjected to face verification.

Those who brought them received Tk 500 per head. From that, the students were given Tk 100 to Tk 250. Sabbir Hasan Rakib, a 26-year-old resident of the Rahimabad area, illegally takes photos and does face verification work at the abandoned poultry farm. He has been involved in these illegal online activities since 2022.

When contacted, Sabbir Hasan Rakib also admitted to the matter.

Sabbir told Views Bangladesh that he has been getting face verification done for students and people of various ages through an app for about three months.

Sabbir claimed that he receives Tk 800 to Tk 900 for each face verification. And those who bring people there are paid Tk 500 per person.

However, a person working in outsourcing in this regard said that if such information is given online and an account is opened, one can get up to $15 to $16.

Asked what is done through face verification, Sabbir Hasan Rakib said that accounts are opened online through an app called 'BigPay' by doing face verification. These accounts are used to make online purchases from outside the country.

In this regard, Bogura IT expert Millat Chowdhury said there is a risk of biometric information being sold on the deep web and dark web. Using this information, fake passports, driving licences and various types of fraud and cybercrime can be committed. In particular, if children's biometric information falls into the hands of cybercriminals, there is a risk of misuse of their identity and personal information in the future. At the same time, a major risk could be created.