Shawdesh dEsk:

Incidents of cybercrime through social media facebook have gone up to a great extent in recent times in the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, causing grave concern in the society.

A section of people commit cybercrimes like propaganda and rumours, tarnishing of image, pornography, threats, hacking of accounts and fraudulence through fake IDs.

The cybercrimes have reigned supreme with a massive rise in the internet data consumption during the coronavirus pandemic, police sources said.

The organised crime is steadily corroding the society like virulent virus as online fraud and felonies have spurted right under the noses of security forces.

It is also eating into the vitals of many promising youths in various ways, splitting family ties and increasing cheating incidents as well.

Young learners, teenagers and even senior citizens are increasingly falling prey to the growing menace to hacking by online frauds.

Local and international hackers open fake accounts through social media like facebook and they cheat facebook users after developing relations with them.

Law enforcement agencies arrested a number of people in connection with the spread of rumours about the Covid-19 pandemic and the health ministry’s measures.

According to the Cyber Tribunal (Bangladesh) in Dhaka, a total of 2,386 cases have been filed over cybercrimes in the last seven years since the tribunal started functioning in 2013.

Records show that cybercrime cases was only three in 2013, but it increased to 33 in 2014, 152 in 2015, 233 in 2016, 568 in 2017, 676 in 2018 and 721 in 2019.

Despite strong laws, some unauthorised facebook IDs and pages are being operated to spread false and fabricated news, maligning important persons to create sensation among people.

Over 100 fake facebook IDs and pages spread rumuors along with fake news on social media sites regarding education, thanks to the negligence by law enforcement agencies.

The latest rumour through a facebook page named ‘Bangladesh National Education Board’ about the reopening of educational institutions after the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha has made many people anxious.

Such pages also contain names of different ministries, divisions and officials, including the name of Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni and Education Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain.

Cyber Security and Crime Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police say they have been receiving huge allegations of cyber crimes as a section of people are operating those pages with ill motive.

“We’re receiving 15 to 20 complaints every day. Complaints with little charges are being solved instantly while they file cases over serious issues,” Cyber Security and Crime Division Additional Police Commissioner Najmul Islam told the daily sun.

Law enforcement agencies have already found numerous pages which spread misleading information about various ministries and divisions.

The education ministry has blocked 90 such pages and IDs for spreading rumours about the ministry and its education boards.

Even some 11 fake pages were found after the name of the Education Minister Dipu Moni.

Education Ministry’s spokesperson Mohammad Abul Khair told the daily sun, “We sent a list of fake IDs or pages to the BTRC.”

Many pages, including ‘SSC Exam Results Change 2020’, ‘HSC results change’ and SSC, HSC Result & Question Change are offering good results in exchange for money.

Dhaka Education Board Chairman Prof M Ziaul Haque told the daily sun that the facebook pages are cheating students in such a way. He has urged students not to be allured with such offer.

Dhaka Education Board on Thursday filed a case with Chakbazar police station against unauthorized facebook page ‘Bangladesh National Education Board’ for spreading rumours.

Confirming about the case, Education Board Chairman Prof Ziaul Haque told the daily sun, “We’ve lodged the case on charge of spreading rumours from a fake page.”

He also said a vested quarter is trying to tarnish the image of the education ministry, education boards through providing misleading information and fake news on social media.

Cyber Crime Awareness Foundation (CCAF) Convener Kazi Mostafiz told the daily sun that crimes through social media are continuing unchecked due mainly to a lack of skilled manpower and necessary technological capacity of the government agencies.

“Many people are now falling prey to cyber crimes due to lack of awareness,” he said.