Pinaki Bhattacharya

Pinaki Bhattacharya (; born 1 March 1967) is a France-based Bangladeshi activist and physician known for his criticism of Sheikh Hasina, Awami League and BNP. His views align with the 11 Party Alliance, and during the 2026 Bangladeshi general election, he actively campaigned on social media in support of Jamaat–NCP alliance. He pioneered a strong 'India Out' campaign - a social media movement blaming India of interfering in Bangladesh’s 2024 general elections to keep fascist Hasina regime in power.

Early life Bhattacharya was born in a Bengali Hindu family in the Bogra District of East Pakistan in 1967. His father, Shyamol Bhattacharya, worked as a school teacher at Bogura 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.

Education Bhattacharya completed his SSC from Bogura 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.

Career Bhattacharya is best known as a social activist. 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.

Politics Bhattacharya was once involved in leftist politics, being a former member of the Communist Party of Bangladesh. 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. He claimed political asylum in France.

Activism Bhattacharya is a well-known activist. He has millions of followers on social media. During the 2018 Bangladesh road-safety protests, photographer Shahidul Alam was arrested by the police for his participation. 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. Bhattacharya later went into hiding to avoid capture and intelligence officials raided his residence and office several times and kept his residence under surveillance.

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, and two months later, he reached France, where he is currently under political asylum. 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’. On 31 October 2024, Dhaka court cyber tribunal judge Noor-e-Alam acquitted Pinaki Bhattacharya on a case filed under the Digital Security Act.

In April, he strongly opposed the controversial reform proposal by Women's Affair and Reform Commission.

Controversies and legal issues Digital Security Act case In November 2022, Bhattacharya was sued under the Digital Security Act of Bangladesh for allegedly spreading misinformation and defaming the state after a Facebook post about a police operation on 14 October. The complaint was filed by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. In October 2024, a Dhaka cyber tribunal later exempted him in the case.

Threat to actor Mosharraf Karim In February 2024, media reports alleged that Bhattacharya allegedly threatened Bangladeshi actor Mosharraf Karim, urging him not to participate in the promotion of the film Hubba, directed by Bratya Basu and released on Indian OTT platforms such as Hoichoi.

Claim on NID website 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.

Dhanmondi 32 demolition

In February 2025, Bhattacharya posted on Facebook in support of the demolition of Dhanmondi 32 of the former residence of Bangladesh's founder President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi 32 a historic house which was later used as the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, during protests in Dhaka. News reports described his post as encouraging the ongoing ‘bulldozer’ mobilisation targeting the site.

Personal life Bhattacharya married his former classmate, Anjuman Ara Begum, at Rajshahi Medical College, and they have a son named Rosef Anjuman Shuvo. His wife is a doctor with FCPS qualification.

Publications