Rupganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Saiful Islam held a press conference on Tuesday at his office in Narayanganj, alleging that an online journalist attempted to extort him. He claimed that Shahin Mia, identifying himself as a reporter for the online portal Oporadh Bichitra, demanded either three Dhaka–Cox’s Bazar air tickets with hotel accommodation or Tk 50,000 in cash. When the demand was refused, Shahin Mia allegedly threatened to publish defamatory news against the UNO.

According to Saiful Islam, after he declined to pay, Shahin Mia, in collaboration with the Upazila Engineer Akhtar Hossain, published a report accusing him of embezzling funds from the one percent land registration fund. The report was also circulated on social media. The UNO clarified that he has no authority to spend money from that fund, which is managed and audited under government procedures involving local representatives and officials.

Saiful Islam urged media professionals to take action against unethical journalism and sought cooperation to ensure justice. He reiterated that the land registration fund is used for development projects as per government regulations and that related information is regularly shared publicly.