Six fined for spreading rumours over coronavirus in Barishal

A mobile court has fined six people Tk25,000 each for allegedly spreading rumours over coronavirus on Facebook and through loudspeakers of mosques in Gournadi upazila of Barishal.

The mobile court, led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Israt Jahan, penalised the persons on Wednesday noon.

Earlier, police conducted operations from Tuesday night till Wednesday morning and detained them from different parts of the upazila.

The people are Al Mamun Sardar, 30, Moazzin at North Bijoypur Badamtola Mosque, Salma Aker, 55, a lecturer at Barthi Degree College, Rafiqul Islam, 33, an assistant teacher at Gourandi Model Government Primary School, ex-military personnel Sirajul Islam, 45, Dipali Debnath, 33, and Kader Mollah, 21.

Local people said around 10:30 pm on Tuesday, the rumours were propagated simultaneously using loudspeakers of majority of the mosques of the upazila.

They announced that army personnel would spray disinfectants in the area using helicopters from 11 pm till 3 am. Everyone was asked to stay at home during that time, they added.

They were also told to take drying clothes inside their homes and to shut all doors and windows of the houses during that time.

They also spread these sorts of rumours using Facebook.

Gournadi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Golam Sarwar said, "Acting on a tip-off, we conducted operations that night, detained the individuals and handed them over to the mobile court."