Dhaka: Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have raided the office of a news website and detained three journalists over a report on rumours the prime minister’s son had died, an official said Monday, days after the country blocked dozens of news sites.

RAB conducted a five-hour search of the popular news portal banglamail24.com’s Dhaka office on Sunday evening, hours after the story appeared, and detained the executive editor and two other journalists.

The RAB officials conducted a drive at the office of Banglamail24.com in Scout Building in Dhaka’s Nayapaltan area at about 10:00pm on Sunday.

The detainees are Banglamail24.com’s Editor Shahdat Ullah Khan, Executive Editor Maksud Haider Chowhdury, and desk correspondent Pranta Palash, says a text message sent by RAB officials on Monday morning.

RAB also seized some materials including computers from the news office at about 1:30am. 

‘We have picked them up for questioning about the news they have published,’ said Mufti Mahmud Khan, spokesman for the elite Rapid Action Battalion, which carried out the raid on the office.

‘After the questioning ends, we will be able to tell you more about it.’

Phones at the banglamail24 office went unanswered on Monday morning and the website had not been updated.

The raid came days after the government sparked accusations of censorship when it shut down 32 online news services, citing ‘objectionable contents’.

The government has also banned live television coverage of Islamist extremist attacks in the wake of last month’s deadly assault on a cafe in which 22 people were killed, including 18 foreigners.

Prime Minister Hasina publicly criticised the coverage of the attack and told private broadcasters to be more responsible.