A Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court has directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate an extortion and defamation case filed against Face the People editor and publisher Saifur Sagar and investigation reporter Mohammad Yusuf. The order was issued on Sunday, July 5, 2026, after Mastul Foundation representative Abu Md Kamruzzaman filed the case. The court recorded the plaintiff’s statement and later instructed PBI to submit its report by August 10, according to the plaintiff’s lawyer Md Azad Rahman.

According to the case statement, the accused allegedly demanded Tk 20,000 for publishing a report and Tk 15,000 for a press release on the Face the People online portal. They also reportedly sought a monthly payment of Tk 50,000 from Mastul Foundation to continue its activities. When the foundation refused, the accused allegedly threatened to harm its reputation.

The complaint further states that on June 28, the accused published a report on the Face the People portal that damaged Mastul Foundation’s reputation, causing an alleged defamation loss of Tk 20 crore.