Legal action against ‘false, confusing,’ social media posts about govt, law enforcers: home ministry

The Ministry of Home Affairs today issued a statement forbidding citizens, both at home and abroad, from spreading "false, fabricated, confusing, and inciting statements about the government, military officials, police officers, and members of different law enforcing agencies" on social media. Experts, however, have called the directive "illegal". The curb on the general public follows a string of similar ones against nurses, health officials, public officials, students and teachers. "They are presenting false and baseless news about the security forces, which is threatening to ruin the peace in the country, and spreading fear, concern and confusion among the general public, " the statement signed by Md Sharif Mahmud Apu, senior information officer of the home ministry, said. "The government has observed the activities of such people with patience, and has come to the conclusion that it is necessary to take legal action against such people to maintain the stability, domestic security and public well-being, " added the statement.