Several Facebook accounts with large followings have been deleted or compromised by an identified group of hackers in Bangladesh.

Victims include coordinators of the Students Against Discrimination movement, student leaders, and social media-based political commentators.

"Facebook accounts are being compromised, deactivated, or deleted by vested groups falsely reporting them for violating community standards," said Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Policy Adviser of the Information and Communication Technology Division.
Hackers are exploiting this situation by spreading malicious content, phishing links, and using fake credentials to gain unauthorised access.

"We have already informed Meta about this issue, and Meta has advised us to communicate through the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). The matter has been reported to BTRC," Taiyeb said.

He added that some individuals have already regained access to their accounts.

"But this morning (Friday), Al Jazeera journalist Zulkarnain Saer Khan, who frequently criticises the government, informed me that his account had been deleted by hackers," he noted. "This indicates that the hacking attacks are still ongoing."

"A Facebook group called 'Crack Platoon-Bangladesh Cyberforce' claimed responsibility for disabling Syeed Abdullah's account. If you visit the 'About' section of this group, you'll find that they have shared links to Bangladesh Awami League accounts," Taiyeb revealed.

He further alleged that other groups linked to Awami League, including 'A Team' and 'Rajjya Shova,' are also involved in these attacks.

Taiyeb urged Meta to immediately restore the accounts of Zulkarnain Saer Khan, Sayeed Abdullah, and others affected by these malicious activities. "Because this limits access to freedom of expression," he added.

Meta hasn't immediately responded to The Daily Star's request for comment.