The Detective Branch picked up the online editor of national daily Bhorer Kagoj, Mizanur Rahman Sohel, from his Badda house in Dhaka early Wednesday.
He was taken into custody allegedly over a scheduled press conference to protest at the government鈥檚 move to register mobile phones by unique identification number.
Mizanur, however, was released about 10 hours after his detention at about 12:30am.
DB personnel also about picked up Mobile Business Community Bangladesh general secretary Abu Sayeed Piyas.
He was also released in the evening.
The incidents occurred after the Mobile Business Community Bangladesh announced a press conference for Wednesday protesting at the NEIR move.
National Equipment Identity Register is an initiative of the government to create a national database of mobile phones by listing their International Mobile Equipment Identity against their owners鈥� NID.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, on its website describes NEIR鈥檚 objective is to curb theft, smuggling and illegal buying and selling of cell phones.
Following his release, Mizanur pointed the finger at an adviser without naming anyone.
He also said in his Facebook post that he was media consultant for the press conference mobile phone traders planned to hold on Wednesday.
Later on the day, at a press conference, mobile phone business owners also alleged that the DB picked up Piyas.
They blamed chief adviser鈥檚 special assistant for posts, telecommunications and information and communication technology Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb for the detention.
Faiz denied the allegations.
DB chief additional commissioner Shafiqul Islam told 抖阴精品 that Mizanur 鈥榳as brought to the DB office and was later released鈥�.
He, however, did not share any further information.
The platform鈥檚 general secretary was also taken in DB custody for questioning and was later released in the evening, confirmed Muhammad Talebur Rahman, Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner for media and public relations.
Faiz Ahmad Tayeb, meanwhile, denied the allegations and described the accusations as baseless and motivated, according to a press release issued by the posts, telecommunications and ICT ministry.
鈥榃e are implementing NEIR in the interest of national discipline and security. The BTRC has even held meetings with parties concerned to curb the use of illegal handsets,鈥� the release said referring to Faiz.
Despite this, certain online news portals intentionally tried to blame Faiz based on a Facebook post, said the release.
In a Facebook post at 10:43am, Mizanur wrote, 鈥楢lhamdulillah. After being held in DB custody for nearly ten and a half hours without any wrongdoing, they respectfully returned me home.鈥�
He said that he had been detained on the instruction of a government adviser over the scheduled press conference of the Mobile Business Community Bangladesh regarding NEIR.
Meanwhile, mobile phone traders at the platform鈥檚 press conference on the day announced the closure of all handset retail shops across the country, protesting at the detention and the forthcoming launch of the National Equipment Identity Register.
