Authorities in Kurigram say they will take legal action against people accused of posing as journalists to harass and extort money from primary schools. A report published on August 4, 2026 said individuals using the names of obscure newspapers, unregistered news portals and Facebook pages entered schools, took photos and recorded videos without permission. Teachers said the visits disrupted classes and unsettled students.

Teachers alleged that the visitors requested documents, asked irrelevant questions and later demanded money for motorcycle fuel or lunch. Some teachers reportedly paid between Tk500 and Tk1,000, fearing reports that could damage their schools’ reputations. At Sonaripara Government Primary School in Chilmari, head teacher Regina Sultana said two men identifying themselves as journalists demanded money for lunch after asking unrelated questions.

Teachers’ association leader Rowshan Ara Begum said some people threatened to publish reports if not paid. Kurigram Journalists’ Union member secretary Manowar Hossain Liton said the activity was also harming the reputation of legitimate journalists. District Primary Education Officer Swapan Kumar Ray Chowdhury said several alleged fake journalists had been identified and legal measures would be taken soon.