‘With your extortion, you can’t take away my dream’: Salman Muqtadir alleges BNP-linked men vandalised studio

Popular content creator and actor Salman Muqtadir has alleged that a group of men linked to the ruling BNP vandalised and looted his studio in Dhaka’s ECB Chattar area late Saturday following an apparent dispute over an extortion demand involving the property’s landowner.

The attack on BrownFish Studio, located inside the New Gini Properties housing project, took place at around 10:30pm on September 26.

According to a caretaker of the studio, around 150 people, wearing face masks and carrying firearms, forcibly entered the premises and began vandalising and looting equipment.

Most of the studio’s equipment, CCTV cameras and furniture were either damaged, left in disarray or looted.

Salman later said none of his employees was injured.

Footage he shared showed extensive damage inside the studio, which he founded with partners in April this year. He said the attackers had also attempted to remove equipment and other belongings.

“They couldn’t take the large-screen TV, so they broke it,” Salman said.

‘You can’t take away my dream’

Salman disclosed the attack in a video uploaded to his verified Facebook profile, which has more than four million followers, at 1:33am on Sunday.

“This is very normal in Bangladesh,” Salman said with his characteristic dry humour as he surveyed the wrecked studio.

He described BrownFish as the only studio in Bangladesh offering its particular combination of aesthetics and production facilities.

“There was no such studio like this,” he said.

Despite appearing composed and occasionally smiling, Salman said his reaction should not be mistaken for resignation.

“Now you might ask why I am so composed and calm and why I am smiling,” he said.

He argued that entrepreneurs without political connections or powerful backing remained vulnerable.

“Bangladesh is such a country in which, if you want to do something and for that you don’t want to bootlick someone, if you don’t follow any political party, this is what will happen to you,” Salman said.

“If you don’t have strong backup, I am discouraging you from doing anything here.”

Salman alleged that local BNP men were behind the attack, saying they had demanded money from the landowner and apparently vandalised the property after the demand was rejected.

Daily Waadaa could not independently verify the identities or political affiliations of those involved.

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Salman said the attackers might not even have known the studio belonged to him.

“Those who attacked may not have known that this was my studio. The landowner, or something, may possibly be an Awami League supporter — I don’t know. Perhaps something happened between him and someone over an extortion demand, where they demanded money or something,” he said.

“Maybe there was an argument because he didn't pay. I don't know what happened behind the scenes. So, because they [attackers] wanted revenge, people like us got caught in the middle.”

“They wanted to damage his property, and my property got caught in the middle. And that's just Bangladesh. I'm not blaming anyone. Nothing new to say. This is Bangladesh.”

In his Facebook video, however, Salman directly referred to the attackers as BNP men.

“I have never felt stronger than this. I feel the strongest right now,” he said. “Whoever broke this, these BNP people who did this — with your extortion, you can’t take away my dream.”

Salman said he had the financial means to rebuild the studio but warned that most Bangladeshis facing similar destruction would not.

“I have the means to stand up from these ruins. Ninety-nine percent of people in Bangladesh don’t,” he said.

At one point, he addressed Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed directly.

“I have no complaints to you,” Salman said. “Well done.”

Police detain two

Salman later went to Cantonment Police Station to file a written complaint.

Waadaa contacted the police station, where duty officer Md Sarwar confirmed that Salman was there and that police were taking his complaint.

“We are aware of the incident and will take necessary measures,” Sarwar said.

Salman also told reporters that police had detained two people from the scene.

“Not sure how long they will remain in custody. Maybe they [police] will feed them [detainees] and let them go,” he said in jest.

Cantonment Police Station Officer-in-Charge Muhammad Gias Uddin separately told Bangla Tribune that the attack stemmed from a dispute over control of land.

“An office in the ECB area was attacked over a dispute centring on the occupation of land. After receiving the news, police went to the spot and brought the situation under control. Two people were detained from the scene with knives,” Gias said.

He said legal action over the incident was underway.

Salman is among Bangladesh’s early generation of YouTube personalities and has worked across digital content, acting, music and commercial production.

His YouTube channel, SalmoN TheBrownFish, has around 1.7 million subscribers, according to publicly available channel analytics. BrownFish Studio marked an expansion of his longstanding work in video and commercial production.

Salman has previously identified video production and digital marketing among his main professional interests and has worked in digital media and production for years.

Waadaa could not immediately independently establish the identities or political affiliations of the attackers.

There was no immediate response from the BNP or the Home Ministry to Salman’s allegations.