Expatriates too under tech surveillance
At least 12 Bangladeshi immigrants from Saudi Arab, Qatar, Australia, Oman, Britain, and Malaysia have been identified for allegedly spreading rumours and offensive information via social media prior to the upcoming parliamentary elections. They will be arrested as soon as they return to the country, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police have said.
Almost all of the identified people made ‘obscene remarks’ regarding the prime minister and her family members. They were also involved in sharing falsified information and photos of the Election Commission, Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and election, the law enforcement said.
After the schedule announcement (8 November) the 'akama' (work permit) of two immigrants in Saudi Arabia was requested to be revoked while cases were filed against them in Dhaka, too, special super of CID cyber investigation centre Molla Nazrul Islam told Prothom Alo.
The 12 expatriates were identified as a part of the CID inspection over social media, including Facebook and YouTube, for spreading potentially harmful information about the law and order situation prior to the 11th parliamentary election.
The embassies in those countries have been informed, Molla Nazrul Islam added. CID has sent a letter to the NCB (National Central Bureau) of Interpol in Bangladesh asking for help.
“Those expatriates doing these are actually living in a fool’s paradise”, said a CID official declined to be named.
Regarding a clear definition of such ‘rumour’ or ‘crime’, the official said spreading false news and provocative information, obscene comments on reputed personalities along with distorted pictures are among the crimes.
The inspection has been intensified since the August student protests demanding safe roads.
The Social Media Monitoring and Cyber Crime Prevention Committee of CID and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime are working to prevent rumours.
Sources at the police headquarters said officials from all the branches of police across the country are monitoring Facebook and YouTube before the election. A number of 54 websites were closed as part of the initiative.
The Election Commission has formed an eight-member observation committee for preventing rumours.
The joint secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat SM Asaduzzaman told government news agency BSS that the committee headed by Saidul Islam, National Identity Registration sub-division director general, would observe the social site for 24 hours.
The committee comprises of members of the police headquarters, special branch (SB) of police, Bangladesh Computer Council, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre, and a senior maintenance engineer from the Election Commission.