Man held for making fake news sites remanded
A Dhaka court yesterday placed Enamul Haque Mony, who was detained by Rapid Action Battalion on charges of creating fake websites of news outlets, on a three-day remand in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.
Judicial Magistrate Rajib Hasan passed the order after Mizanur Rahman, sub-inspector of Bangladesh Railway Police Station, and also investigation officer of the case, produced him seeking 10 days' remand.
Deputy Assistant Director of Rab-2 Md Ekramul Haque Chowdhury filed the case against Enamul with Bangladesh Railway Police Station, Kamalapur in Dhaka, accusing him of creating fake websites and circulating false and “anti-government” news through them.
In yesterday's remand prayer, the IO said Mony was directly involved in creating websites identical to those of different local media outlets.
Defence lawyer Md Kabiruzzaman submitted a petition seeking bail alongside cancellation of the remand prayer, saying that his client was not involved in such activities.
After hearing both sides, the magistrate rejected the bail petition and placed him on remand.
Rab on Saturday said Mony, 31, who his family says went missing from the Dhaka airport area on Wednesday, was in their custody. The law enforcement agency said they arrested Mony in Airport Railway Station area.
Clone websites of Bangla daily Prothom Alo, online news portal banglatribune.com and BBC Bangla were created in September and October to spread fake news.
Mohiuddin Faruque, additional superintendent of Rab-2, said during his stay in South Korea while pursuing a PhD degree, Mony created at least 22 such fake websites and got money for it.
Mony was involved with Islami Chhatra Shibir, he said, adding, they investigated the forgery upon receiving complaints from the authorities of a newspaper.
Mony completed his master's from Bangladesh Agriculture University of Mymensingh and went to South Korean Kyungpook National University as a PhD researcher in 2012.
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