A countrywide combing operation has been launched against the plotters who tried to create a chaotic situation by spreading rumours of price hike of salt and rice, sources said. As per the government high command’s drastic order, nobody either in the ruling Awami League or elsewhere will be spared if found involved in spreading rumour with the intension of destabilising the country through creating chaotic situation.
A highly placed source in the home ministry said whatever may be the identity of the wrongdoers, those who would be found involved in the process of destabilising the country, must be brought to book. Drives will be continued against them as per the high command directive, sources said.
Intelligence sources said those vested quarters had also tried to create chaotic situation earlier by spreading rumours centring several incidents such as quota reform movement, Padma Bridge project and students’ movement for road safety. Sources said after the 11th National Parliament Election, over one hundred people were arrested in connection with spreading rumour among which 36 were from Jamaat-Shibir or anti-government parties.
Sources confirmed that there is no shortage of salt and rice in the country. Vested quarters were trying to create artificial crisis for making personal gains. Sources also said that those who have created crisis and tried to create a chaotic situation by spreading rumours have already been kept under surveillance. The government have information that a vested quarter is hatching conspiracy in planed ways over the salt and rice after the onion issue was solved.
The government on Tuesday warned of stern action against any attempt of spreading rumours over salt and ruled out the possibility of any salt crisis in the country. Intelligence sources said rumours over salt and rice have been spread mainly through social media Facebook by a section of people while a number of online news portals also supported them.
As per the government directives, law enforcing agencies already have detained around 50 people on allegation of spreading rumours regarding hiking of salt prices. District administrations and mobile courts also have jailed and fined a number of people in this connection.
Besides, the government authorities have taken various measures to make people aware of the actual situation. They were found announcing through loudspeakers that there was no salt crisis. They also asked businessmen and traders not to try to create any situation that might misguide people.
Intelligence sources also said one after another rumour was being spread just as a part of creating a chaotic situation and destabilise the normalcy of the country to make political gain. It is to be mentioned that the Ministry of Industries informed that around 6.5 lakh tones of salt is now in the stock, which confirms that there is no possibility of a salt crisis.
A Deputy Commissioner of the Cyber Crime Unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said they were working for identifying those who spread rumours. Those who had shared the link of the rumours would also be brought to books.
