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Pinaki Bhattacharya
Paris-based Bangladeshi blogger and social activist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Pinaki Bhattacharya (Bengali: পিনাকী ভট্টাচার্য; born 1 March 1967) is a Bangladeshi activist and physician known for his criticism of Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League.[a]
 | This article may contain excessive or inappropriate references to self-published sources. (April 2025) |
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Early life
Bhattacharya was born in a Bengali Hindu family in 1967. His father, Shyamol Bhattacharya, worked as a school teacher at Bogra Zilla School and was also involved in local cultural activities, while his mother Sukriti Bhattacharya was a housewife. Bhattacharya is the elder son and has one brother and one sister.[6]
Education
Bhattacharya completed his SSC from Bogra Zilla School and HSC from Government Azizul Haque College. Later he studied medicine at Rajshahi Medical College between 1985 and 1992, graduating in 1992. Although he holds an MBBS degree, questions have often been raised about his professional credibility. He later pursued an MBA from IAE Paris Sorbonne Business School and currently claims to be working on a PhD in sustainability.[7][unreliable source]
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Career
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Perspective
Bhattacharya is best known as a social activist.[8][9] He is based in Paris, working for L'Oréal. He is also a marketing professional at a French multinational company. He was an adjunct faculty at American International University-Bangladesh.[10][7][unreliable source]
Politics
Bhattacharya was once involved in leftist politics, being a former member of the Communist Party of Bangladesh.[11][unreliable source] When he was a student at Rajshahi Medical College, he was a local leader of Bangladesh Students' Union and joined the mass uprising which overthrew Ershad's regime in December 1990. Bhattacharya has criticized the Awami League regime's corruption, human rights violations, kidnappings, and extrajudicial killings. His posts and tweets are often critical of Bangladesh's previously ruling party, the Awami League.[12] He claimed political asylum in France.[13][14][15][16]
Activism
Bhattacharya is a well-known activist. He has millions of followers on social media.[17][18] During the 2018 Bangladesh road-safety protests, photographer Shahidul Alam was arrested by the police for his participation.[19] At the same time, DGFI intelligence officers asked Bhattacharya to go to DGFI headquarters in Dhaka. They did not explain why he was called to appear there. There are instances where intelligence officers summon dissidents to their offices, many of whom have disappeared after meeting with intelligence.[20][21] Bhattacharya later hid to avoid capture and intelligence officials raided his residence and office several times and kept his residence under surveillance.[22][23][24]
While he was hiding, authorities banned him from leaving the country, but he was able to leave with the help of friends and reached Bangkok, Thailand in January 2019,[25] and two months later, he reached France, where he is currently under political asylum.[26][27] On 15 November 2022, CTTC sued Bhattacharya under the jurisdiction of the Digital Security Act, 2018. According to the case statement, CTTC noticed a Facebook post by Bhattacharya on 14 October through which ‘misinformation about police was spread on social media’.[28] On 31 October 2024, Dhaka court cyber tribunal judge Noor-e-Alam acquitted Pinaki Bhattacharya on a case filed under the Digital Security Act.[28]
He became popular for his role in the "India out" campaign in Bangladesh.[1]
Bhattacharya told Deutsche Welle the following:
A striking example of such interference was the mockery of democracy seen in the January 7 elections, where India's involvement was pivotal in upholding a regime that blatantly favors India's strategic, political, and economic agendas.[1][29]
In April, he strongly opposed the controversial reform proposal by Women's Affair and Reform Commission.[30]
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Controversies and Legal issues
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Drug contamination incident (2008)
In November 2008, a foreign particle was reportedly found in an ampoule of Amibac 500mg injection, produced by Popular Pharmaceuticals Ltd, where Bhattacharya was serving as Chief Operating Officer. Bhattacharya acknowledged the issue, calling it a procedural error, and stated that such defects were rare due to manual inspection. He further noted that the particle was too large to pass through a syringe needle, making it unlikely to reach a patient's body.[31]
Religious conversion and extremist allegations
Bhattacharya, who was born into a Hindu family, reportedly not converted to Islam under the influence of the Tablighi Jamaat. Following his departure from Bangladesh, he faced allegations of involvement in counterfeit medicine production, including Chinese sex tablets and Yaba. In later years, various media and online reports accused him of engaging in anti-India propaganda and maintaining ties with Jamaat-e-Islami and the ISI.[32]
Digital Security Act case (2022)
In November 2022, Bhattacharya was sued under the Digital Security Act of Bangladesh for allegedly spreading misinformation and defaming the state. The complaint was filed by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, following a Facebook post made by Bhattacharya on 14 October 2022 concerning a police operation.[33]
Child custody case
In 2018, Bhattacharya was involved in a legal dispute regarding the custody of his minor child. Reports suggest that the case arose following his relocation to France amid political tensions. Bangladeshi media outlets mentioned that family-related legal complications were among the issues cited by authorities when he was accused of leaving the country unlawfully. No formal charges of abuse or neglect were filed, and the case remained a matter of family jurisdiction.[34]
Threat to actor Mosharraf Karim (2024)
In February 2024, Bhattacharya allegedly threatened Bangladeshi actor Mosharraf Karim to refrain from participating in the promotion of the film Hubba, directed by Bratya Basu and streamed on Indian OTT platforms such as Hoichoi.[35]
False claim on NID website (2024)
In May 2024, Bhattacharya was criticized for spreading a false claim suggesting that the Bangladesh Election Commission’s NID wing website displayed service fees in Indian rupees instead of Bangladeshi takas. Rumor Scanner later confirmed that the claim was false.[36]
Statements against ISKCON (2024)
In November 2024, Bhattacharya claimed that the activities of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) were harmful to Bangladesh’s national interests, alleging that the organization promoted Indian state policies and an aggressive form of Hindutva.[37] He further urged his followers to prevent ISKCON’s operations in Bangladesh, reiterating a similar demand he made in a previous video in November 2021.[38]
Dhanmondi 32 demolition remark (2025)
In February 2025, Bhattacharya called upon his followers to demolish the Dhanmondi 32 Number House, a site of national importance in Bangladesh Liberation War associated with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.[39][40][41]
Alleged incitement of military personnel and election interference (October 2025)
In October 2025, Bhattacharya was reported to have made a Facebook post appealing directly to junior officers and soldiers of the Bangladesh Army, urging them to protect national symbols and resist “India-supported rogue generals” whom he described as threatening the country’s integrity.[42] Military and election-monitoring sources described the post as part of a coordinated campaign of disinformation from abroad aimed at sabotaging the upcoming national election and sowing discord within the armed forces.[43]
Allegations of RAW involvement
Bangladeshi reporter and journalist Masud Kamal, have alleged thatt Bhattacharya is associated with foreign intelligence agencies such as India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).[44][45]
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Personal life
Bhattacharya married his former classmate, Anjuman Ara Begum, at Rajshahi Medical College, and they have a son named Rosef Anjuman Shuvo.[46] His wife is a doctor with FCPS qualification.[46]
Bibliography
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2025). Sayers, David (ed.). Fulkumari: The Tale of a Refugee and a Rat in Pandemic Paris (1st ed.). Paris Institute for Critical Thinking. p. 148. ISBN 9782494635128.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2021). স্বাধীনতা-উত্তর বাংলাদেশ (in Bengali). Independent Publishing Ne. ISBN 978-1-83853-688-6.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2021). মেডিক্যাল রিপ্রেজেন্টেটিভ : সাফল্যর তত্ত্ব তালাশ (in Bengali). Bhashachitra.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2020). মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, ধর্ম, রাজনীতি ও অন্যান্য প্রসঙ্গ (in Bengali). Adarsha. ASIN B089S5PCPZ.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2020). Sino-US and Indo-US Relations: Contrasts and Commonalities. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9789811372759.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2019). মার্কিন ডকুমেন্টে বাংলাদেশের মুক্তিযুদ্ধ ৭১ (in Bengali). Sucheepatra. ISBN 978-9849213079.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2019). এনলাইটেনমেন্ট থেকে পোস্ট মর্ডানিজম : চিন্তার অভিযাত্রা (in Bengali). ISBN 9789848034217.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2019). Itihasera dhulokali ইতিহাসের ধুলোকালি (in Bengali). Guardian Publications. ISBN 9789848254042.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2018). মন ভ্রমরের কাজল পাখায়: পশ্চিমা চিত্রকলার সমঝদারির হাতেখড়ি (in Bengali). Baatighar.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2018). খানাতল্লাশি (in Bengali). Ananda Publishers Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 9789350409381.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2017). মুক্তিযুদ্ধের বয়ানে ইসলাম (in Bengali). Gurdian Publications. ISBN 978-9849295976.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2017). ভারতীয় দর্শনের মজার পাঠ (in Bengali). Baatighar. ASIN B0DMC69RKM.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2016). রবি বাবুর ডাক্তারি (in Bengali). ISBN 978-9849182948.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2016). ধর্ম ও নাস্তিকতা বিষয়ে বাঙালি কমিউনিস্টদের ভ্রান্তিপর্ব (in Bengali). Bhashachitra. ISBN 978-9849208297.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2016). সোনার বাঙলার রূপালী কথা (in Bengali). Baatighar. ASIN B0DMC22946.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2015). রবীন্দ্রনাথ : অন্য আলোয় ঈশ্বর আত্মা কারণ (in Bengali). ISBN 9789849133476.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2013). ওয়েদার মেকার (in Bengali). Dibya Prakash. ISBN 9789848830604.
- Bhattacharya, Pinaki (2009). বালাই ষাট (in Bengali). Bhashachitra. ASIN B0DN1DT2CY.
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