Bangladesh govt. asserts restrictions on social media use

The Bangladesh authorities have asserted restrictions on the use of social media with asking the public servants to refrain from creating any impression tantamount to tarnishing the image of the government and detaining scores of dissenting activists, journalists and common people to face charges brought under laws criticised by the rights activists for draconian in nature.

Public servants were formally instructed to refrain from creating or sharing any post, uploading any photo or video and making comment and giving like on social media that could tarnish the image of the government or the state, according to a circular of the Ministry of Public Administration in keeping with the instructions for using social media in government offices, framed by the Cabinet Division.

All government employees at the ministries and departments under their jurisdictions have been asked not to make or/and share any remarks, audio and video content humiliating nationally important persons, institutions or any services or professions from their accounts.

All will have to refrain from disclosing information/data that go against the interest of the national spirit and unity.

Any information that could hurt religious sentiment and goes against the principles of secularism shall not be published.

The government employees shall refrain from uploading, liking or sharing any comment, post, picture, audio or video that may deteriorate the country’s law and order, according to the circular.

The officials will be held responsible for misusing social media and making harmful comments from their accounts and action will be taken against them according to the existing laws and regulations, the circular said.

Surge in detention, cases under the Digital Security Act

There has also been a surge in cases under the Digital Security Act against people who express their opinions on social media, mainly Facebook, criticising the government, its ministers and lawmakers for their mismanagements in COVID-19 preparedness and response.

Journalists were also facing charges and getting arrested under the act in cases filed by the law enforcers and ruling Awami League leaders.

At least eight journalists were arrested in the first week of May.

Rights organisation Article 19’s data showed that 60 cases were lodged under the act in this year where over 100 people were sued for expressing their opinions on Facebook and other social media.

The highest 18 cases were filed in April during the COVID-19 crisis and 13 cases were filed in the first six days of May.

Over 25 journalists were sued under the Digital Security Act this year with the majority of those taking place in April and May.

Police headquarters data showed that two dozen of people were arrested in three metropolitan areas, including DMP, and 13 districts in April under the Digital Security Act for criticising the ministers and spreading rumours on the novel coronavirus.

RAB’s legal and media wing director Sarwar Bin Kashem told journalists that they also arrested over 15 people last month for spreading rumours.

Recently, 11 persons, including a number of journalists, writers, and a cartoonist were charged by RAB under the act on May 6.

Two local journalists in Barguna district were arrested under the act on the same night.

Earlier, two other journalists in Sunamganj and Cox’s Bazar districts were shown arrested hours after they were picked up from their homes in connection with two cases filed under the Digital Security Act on May 5.

Journalist in Sunamganj was charged for posting critical contents on Facebook against a local lawmaker.

Journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol, whose whereabouts had remained unknown for almost two months until he reappeared at border with India in Sadipur near Benapole land port early May 3. He later landed in jail in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.

The day before Kajol reappeared, three journalists from Narsingdi districts ended up in jail for running a report on a 50-year-old three-wheeler driver driver’s sudden death on April 29 after he was accosted by the police near Ghorashal police outpost for breaching COVID-19 lockdown rules.

Didarul Bhuiyan, a member of Rashtrachinata group who was coordinating a relief effort for the coronavirus-affected people, was picked up from his home just before iftar on May 5, said a statement signed by 306 citizens.

Ahmed Kabir Kishore, an online cartoonist, was picked up from his home on May 5 while online activist Mushstaq was picked up the day before.

Kishore and Mushtaq, however, were later shown arrested in a case with Ramna police station in the capital.

Momen Pradhan was arrested at Rupganj in Narayanganj on May 5 for publishing a video on his Facebook timeline on a ruling party lawmaker harvesting immature paddy in Tangail.

Motahar Hossain, a government college teacher, remained missing until May 6 after law enforcers picked him up from Kaliganj in Gazpiur on March 15.

Police’s cyber security team said that they were witnessing a flooding of rumours on Facebook about COVID-19 and they had to remove several hundred posts containing rumours on coronavirus from Facebook and Youtube.

The right activists, however, said that the government and ruling party leaders were abusing the law and were trying to silence criticism and hide their COVID-19 response failures.

In another case during mid-April, editor-in-chief of bdnews24.com Toufique Imrose Khalidi, Jagonews24.com acting editor Mohiuddin Sarker and two others were sued under the Digital Security Act for reporting on misappropriation of OMS rice in Baliadangi upazila under Thakurgaon district.

The case was filed by a local ruling party leader, police said.

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

Citizens’ views

Human rights organisations and several hundred citizens in separate statements on May 6 voiced grave concerns over the arrests of several human rights activists, writers and political activists and also over reported disappearances, extra-judicial killings and infringements of fundamental rights by law enforcement agencies.

They said that they were shocked to find that the government did not intend to leash its repressive regime even during a global crisis when the people needed the government to stand by them the most.

The statement said that the state further strengthened its repressive mechanisms in the name of ending circulation of rumours amid the coronavirus crisis.

Three other teachers of government colleges were suspended for writing on the coronavirus crisis on social media and another BRAC University teacher was being investigated for a research on coronavirus, it said.

Many physicians and nurses faced punitive actions as well for speaking against the government’s mismanagement of the coronavirus crisis.

The signatories of the statement included Professor Anu Muhammad of the University of Dhaka, professors Tanzimuddin Khan and Fahmidul Huq at the University of Dhaka, Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman, eminent photographer Shahidul Alam, activist Farida Akhter and lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan.

What rights groups say

Former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission professor Mizanur Rahman believes that these cases suggest the intolerant attitude of the authorities.

‘During any crisis, people want quick relief and they become frustrated over mismanagement and lack of coordination by the government. So they express their opinions more fervently. But filing cases and arresting people for their remarks reveal an intolerant stance against criticism,’ he said.

Professor Mizanur said that in most of the incidents, law enforcers or the ruling party men were filing cases under the Digital Security Act and such practice only curtails the right to freedom of expression.

Human rights watchdog Ain O Salish Kendra chairperson ZI Khan Panna said that the misuses render the Digital Security Act irrelevant and insignificant.

Some politicians criticise arrest

Jatiya Mukti Council president Badruddin Umar and secretary Faijul Hakim in a statement also criticised the arrests and incarceration of the writers and activists.

Left Democratic Alliance coordinator and Socialist Party of Bangladesh central leader Bazlur Rashid Firoj in a statement on May 6 alleged that the government was imposing Digital Security Act to gag the freedom of expressions of the citizens and the media though they had failed to take workable measures to stop the spread of coronavirus and to halt relief theft by ruling party leaders and activists.