BASIS seeks probe into Bitopia allegations as Fiverr account controversy widens

The Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) has called for a transparent investigation into allegations involving Bitopia Group, as concerns grow over the alleged manipulation of accounts on international freelancing marketplace Fiverr.

BASIS said allegations involving the use of workers’ identities and personal information, control of freelancer accounts, fake orders and reviews and possible violations of marketplace rules should be investigated through a fair process.

The software industry body made the call at a press conference at its Karwan Bazar office in Dhaka on Saturday.

The statement follows reports alleging that Bitopia, formerly known as BD Calling IT, operated Fiverr accounts created using employees’ National Identity Card and passport information and retained control over some of those accounts.

The company has also been accused of using fake orders and reviews to manipulate marketplace rankings and harm competing freelancers.

Bitopia has disputed the allegations.

In a response published this week, the company said employees’ original passports and NIDs were not retained and that copies were kept for verification. It said accounts were not opened without employees’ knowledge and that written consent was obtained. Bitopia also denied conducting or authorising fake orders, planned refunds or negative reviews targeting competitors.

The controversy intensified after reports said around 300 Fiverr accounts linked to Bitopia were suspended in late July, while several thousand others had come under scrutiny.

Fiverr itself did not name Bitopia when it addressed the issue publicly.

In an August 4 notice on its Bangladesh community forum, Fiverr said it had received reports of agencies creating and controlling freelancer accounts on behalf of others and generating fake reviews and orders to manipulate their marketplace standing.

The platform said an initial investigation had identified accounts and orders connected with such operations and that accounts found violating its rules would face action, including being demoted in the marketplace.

At Saturday’s press conference, BASIS Support Committee member and Trust-IT (BD) Limited Chairman Engineer Mohammad Jewel said the allegations against Bitopia could not be treated as established facts without a proper investigation.

“The truth of the allegations cannot be conclusively determined without a proper investigation,” Jewel said.

But he said the nature and potential consequences of the allegations meant they required serious scrutiny.

BASIS said it does not support fraud, false identities, misuse of personal information, fake orders, fabricated reviews, marketplace manipulation or violations of international platform rules.

At the same time, it said no individual or company should be declared guilty before an investigation is completed.

BASIS said that if an accused individual or company is one of its members, the allegations would be examined under its constitution, member code of conduct and applicable rules.

If credible preliminary evidence of serious wrongdoing emerges, BASIS could consider temporarily suspending the membership concerned while following due process.

The member would first receive a show-cause notice and an opportunity to respond. Further organisational action could follow if an investigation substantiates the allegations.

Jewel said BASIS would cooperate with any lawful government investigation.

The organisation would provide relevant membership records, institutional documents or other information to government ministries, regulators or law enforcement agencies when legally required, he said.

BASIS also plans to establish a “Complaint & Evidence Collection” mechanism for freelancers, former employees and others who believe their personal information or marketplace accounts were used without permission.

That could include cases involving NIDs, passports and other personal data, as well as accounts that were allegedly transferred to or controlled by another party.

BASIS said the identities and personal information of complainants would be protected.

Jewel said the controversy had exposed broader regulatory gaps in Bangladesh’s rapidly expanding freelancing economy.

Questions remain over who legally and practically controls a marketplace account created in an individual freelancer’s name, how companies may use employees’ identity documents, and what happens to accounts and digital identities when a worker leaves a company.

There is also little clarity over how many individual marketplace accounts an agency should be allowed to manage, he said.

BASIS will therefore propose that the government develop a National Freelancing & Marketplace Governance Framework.

The proposed framework would address account ownership and control, use of personal data, digital identity protection and corporate management of individual freelancer accounts.

BASIS also called for action on longstanding problems involving international payment gateways, banking, foreign-exchange management and taxation faced by Bangladeshi freelancers.

The organisation warned against allowing allegations involving one company or a small group of actors to damage the reputation of the wider freelancing sector.

“Any irregularities by one or a few should not be attributed to hundreds of thousands of honest freelancers in the country,” BASIS said.

The organisation said its position was not to take sides or suppress allegations, but to seek a transparent investigation, protect people who may have been affected and ensure due process while safeguarding Bangladesh’s standing in the global freelancing market.

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