Staff Reporter :
Law enforcement agencies are taking a tough stand against those who create rumors on social media including Facebook by capitalizing religious sentiments and other matters.
To this end, various units of law enforcement agencies including RAB and police have strengthened their cyber security unit. Immediate action is being taken to identify the rumored ID.
According to responsible sources, the government is also considering identifying and arresting of the rumor mongers and punishing them immediately by a mobile court.
Assistant Inspector General of Police Headquarters (Media and PR) Sohel Rana said the police would take strict action against those who spread rumors. Besides, the people have been requested to verify the source of the information without listening to any rumors, he said.
He further said “Action will be taken against anyone who wants to create a violent situation through rumors across the country”.
Recently, the movement has spread in the world including Bangladesh due to the insult of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and Islam in France. There have also been a number of unpleasant and unwelcome incidents in Bangladesh on the pretext of hurting religious sentiments. Most of these incidents were rumoured.
Sources in the concerned authority informed that the government is taking a tough stand so that no one becomes a victim of such rumours.
In the meantime, members of the intelligence service have begun monitoring large Facebook groups and page posts. Whenever they see any offensive and anti-state post, they are immediately requesting Facebook to delete the post in a specific process.
RAB Legal and Media Wing Director Lt. Colonel Ashiq Billah said to The New Nation that RAB has an efficient and smart cyber monitoring team. They are constantly monitoring all the social media.
He said “If anyone tries to create rumors, he will be identified quickly and brought to justice. Common people can also ask on the verified page of RAB to verify the veracity of any information, he said.
RAB has arrested a 19-year-old girl named Israt Jahan Reily from Mirpur area on charges of spreading insulting religion speech on Facebook and Twitter On Thursday night.
Ziaur Rahman Chowdhury, Assistant Director (Ops) of RAB-4 said to The New Nation that Israt Jahan Reily had been using seven Facebook IDs, two Facebook pages and a Twitter ID in her name for a long time to incite religious hatred.
On nevember 3, Criminal Investigation Department of police has arrested Niranjan Baral (50) from Dhaka’s Banasree area on charge of circulating false news against the state and government using his Facebook account, said Jamil Ahmed, Deputy Inspecter Genarel of CID.
Jamil Ahmed said to the new Nation That after analyzing the timeline of Niranjan’s Facebook ID, CID has seen that he has shared anti-government, anti-state, religious and communal harmony-destroying information and news posts From time to times before.
On October 29, a man was beaten to death and his body set on fire in a mosque in Lalmonirhat after rumors of insulting the Holy Quran was spread. Although locals later said the dead man did not do it.
Couple of years ago, the religious minorities were reportedly attacked several times in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar and Nasirnagar and Brahmanbaria for spreading false information about blasphemy.
Last week, the rumors of blasphemy spread on Facebook and seven houses in Muradnagar, Comilla, were set on fire and vandalized. Several people reportedly involved in the incidents have also been arrested.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad has expressed deep concern about the ongoing overall situation in the country.
In a statement, Mahila Parishad said that communal violence in the country, violence against women, rumors like many other incidents in the past, spreading communal provocative statements, nurture of fundamentalism and other isolated incidents are making mishap.
Common people, minorities and women and children are suffering from this instability and uncertainty.
In March this year, the High Court also issued several directions to stop the rumors. As per the directions of the High Court, every Circle Officer (ASP) of the police will have a meeting with the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of each police station under him at least once in six months on the current state of mass beating.
Ministry of Home affairs will continue its campaign in the electronic media to create awareness against rumors and mass beatings. It will take steps to stop any kind of audio, video and text message on social media which may create rumors or provoke people in mass beatings.
Those who are involved in these activities will be identified and appropriate action will be taken. Whenever there is an incident of mass beating, the officer-in-charge of the police station is bound to take preliminary investigation FIR and inform the concerned Superintendent of Police.
Law enforcement agencies are taking a tough stand against those who create rumors on social media including Facebook by capitalizing religious sentiments and other matters.
To this end, various units of law enforcement agencies including RAB and police have strengthened their cyber security unit. Immediate action is being taken to identify the rumored ID.
According to responsible sources, the government is also considering identifying and arresting of the rumor mongers and punishing them immediately by a mobile court.
Assistant Inspector General of Police Headquarters (Media and PR) Sohel Rana said the police would take strict action against those who spread rumors. Besides, the people have been requested to verify the source of the information without listening to any rumors, he said.
He further said “Action will be taken against anyone who wants to create a violent situation through rumors across the country”.
Recently, the movement has spread in the world including Bangladesh due to the insult of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and Islam in France. There have also been a number of unpleasant and unwelcome incidents in Bangladesh on the pretext of hurting religious sentiments. Most of these incidents were rumoured.
Sources in the concerned authority informed that the government is taking a tough stand so that no one becomes a victim of such rumours.
In the meantime, members of the intelligence service have begun monitoring large Facebook groups and page posts. Whenever they see any offensive and anti-state post, they are immediately requesting Facebook to delete the post in a specific process.
RAB Legal and Media Wing Director Lt. Colonel Ashiq Billah said to The New Nation that RAB has an efficient and smart cyber monitoring team. They are constantly monitoring all the social media.
He said “If anyone tries to create rumors, he will be identified quickly and brought to justice. Common people can also ask on the verified page of RAB to verify the veracity of any information, he said.
RAB has arrested a 19-year-old girl named Israt Jahan Reily from Mirpur area on charges of spreading insulting religion speech on Facebook and Twitter On Thursday night.
Ziaur Rahman Chowdhury, Assistant Director (Ops) of RAB-4 said to The New Nation that Israt Jahan Reily had been using seven Facebook IDs, two Facebook pages and a Twitter ID in her name for a long time to incite religious hatred.
On nevember 3, Criminal Investigation Department of police has arrested Niranjan Baral (50) from Dhaka’s Banasree area on charge of circulating false news against the state and government using his Facebook account, said Jamil Ahmed, Deputy Inspecter Genarel of CID.
Jamil Ahmed said to the new Nation That after analyzing the timeline of Niranjan’s Facebook ID, CID has seen that he has shared anti-government, anti-state, religious and communal harmony-destroying information and news posts From time to times before.
On October 29, a man was beaten to death and his body set on fire in a mosque in Lalmonirhat after rumors of insulting the Holy Quran was spread. Although locals later said the dead man did not do it.
Couple of years ago, the religious minorities were reportedly attacked several times in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar and Nasirnagar and Brahmanbaria for spreading false information about blasphemy.
Last week, the rumors of blasphemy spread on Facebook and seven houses in Muradnagar, Comilla, were set on fire and vandalized. Several people reportedly involved in the incidents have also been arrested.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad has expressed deep concern about the ongoing overall situation in the country.
In a statement, Mahila Parishad said that communal violence in the country, violence against women, rumors like many other incidents in the past, spreading communal provocative statements, nurture of fundamentalism and other isolated incidents are making mishap.
Common people, minorities and women and children are suffering from this instability and uncertainty.
In March this year, the High Court also issued several directions to stop the rumors. As per the directions of the High Court, every Circle Officer (ASP) of the police will have a meeting with the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of each police station under him at least once in six months on the current state of mass beating.
Ministry of Home affairs will continue its campaign in the electronic media to create awareness against rumors and mass beatings. It will take steps to stop any kind of audio, video and text message on social media which may create rumors or provoke people in mass beatings.
Those who are involved in these activities will be identified and appropriate action will be taken. Whenever there is an incident of mass beating, the officer-in-charge of the police station is bound to take preliminary investigation FIR and inform the concerned Superintendent of Police.
