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Romour Monger

Drives against rumour mongers on cards


Published : 09 May 2020 09:53 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 04:59 AM

Law enforcers are planning to gear up vigilance against the rumour-mongers who are desperately indulged in circulating rumours at a time when the coronavirus risks plunging the country into economic and social turmoil- not to mention the public health crisis.

Police will also intensify ongoing actions against those who are involved in circulating baseless propaganda and rumour against the government misusing the issue of COVID-19.

According to the sources, not only some pro BNP-Jamaat, but expatriate bloggers, left leaning activists and some government employees are also allegedly involved. Knowingly and unknowingly, they are also circulating these fake, fabricated and ill-motivated information by sharing posts in different social networking sites.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Saturday also said that a vested quarter is spreading rumours over COVID-19 using social media.

He said, “These rumours are ill-motivated. Rumours and propaganda are more
dangerous than the coronavirus.”

RAB’s Legal and Media Wing Director Lt Col Sarwar Bin Kashem said, “We also arrested over one dozen cyber criminals in April for spreading rumours.”

Law enforcers said that cyber criminals are posting rumours on Facebook about COVID-19. Cyber police are removing several hundred posts containing rumours on coronavirus from Facebook and Youtube.

Recently the government was apparently ‘forced’ to issue some tougher directives regarding usage of personal and official social media accounts of government officials.

The government order said civil servants must refrain from sharing posts as well as uploading photos, audios and videos, and will also not like, comment or share such things that might tarnish the image of the government or the nation.

The order also instructed the government employees not to share information on social media that might go against national unity and consciousness.

Misuse of social media platforms, and finding any harmful content in the social media accounts of government officials will result in necessary legal action against that official.

On March 26,the Secondary and Higher Education Division suspended two lecturers as their Facebook posts went against Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules-2018.

The suspended teachers were Kazi Zakia, an associate professor of Gafargaon Government College in Mymensingh, and Shahadat Ullah Kayser, a lecturer at Barisal Government Women's College.

On May 7, the RAB arrested Minhaz Mannan Emon, a director of the Dhaka Stock Exchange.
RAB also arrested one Didarul Bhuiya, a member of ‘Rastra Chinta Songothon’, and cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore and writer Mushtaq Ahmed.

Controversial blogger Asif Mahmud was among the accused in the case.
RAB officials claimed that the arrestees attempted to destabilise the country by posting false and fake information against the government on a Facebook page ‘I am Bangladeshi’.

Controversial journalist Tasnim Khalil, currently living in Sweden, is the admin of the facebook page which has 2.5 followers.
In connection with circulating false information, law enforcers arrested around half a dozen journalists, said a rights organization.

According to the sources, around eighteen cases were filed in April. Thirteen cases were filed in the first six days of May.
Police headquarters sources said police arrested at least twenty cyber criminals in three metropolitan areas, including DMP. Police also arrested a dozen in districts in April for spreading rumours on COVID-19.

Two journalists in Barguna were arrested on the first week of May for spreading fake news.
Earlier, two journalists in Sunamganj and Cox’s Bazar were arrested in connection with spreading false information.

Three journalists from Narsingdi — Dainik Grameen Darpan news editor Ramzan Ali Pramanik, its staff correspondent Shanta Banik, and online news portal Narsingdi Pratidin publisher and editor Shaon Khondoker Shahin- were arrested for running a totally false story on a 50-year-old CNG driver’s sudden death on 29 April

In early April, Criminal Investigation Department of police arrested a lawyer named Abu Bakar Siddiqi at Uttar Badda for a Facebook post on COVID-19 and Awami League secretary general Obaidul Quader.