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Deception is not only an unethical deed but also a vile process of spoiling people’s trust. It is also a criminal offence, which is a great obstacle to order, security, and peace. It is becoming more terrible day by day, according to recent reports in the mass media. Bangladesh is beset with a number of deadly problems. Deception is also one of them that we can't deny. To help someone commit any criminal offence, like fraud, is also one kind of offence according to the laws of Bangladesh.
Besides, deception or fraud is a vile deed and a punishable crime, according to the Holy Quran and hadiths. It also launches a culture of distrust by spoiling people’s trust. It can never bring mental peace. For this reason, fraudsters are mentally unhappy. We should always remember that a cursed life is a life of disrespect and sorrow. Poverty or joblessness is also responsible for deception because many needy people involve themselves in deception to solve their financial problems.
Besides, earning money illegally is one of the dirtiest aims of fraud. Fraudsters are becoming more desperate in Bangladesh due to light punishment. I firmly believe that public awareness against deception everywhere and exemplary punishment will eradicate fraudulent activities from human society step by step. Some of the roles of the law enforcers in Bangladesh to arrest frauds are extraordinary and laudable.
We should always remember that deception is one of the worst deeds. We find different types of information regarding deception in mass media including social media like Facebook, X (Twitter), TikTok, and so on. Lots of fraud gangs give fake advertisements for part-time or online jobs using mass media and social media, including WhatsApp, to entrap people of different ages and professions. If the members of the detective branch become more active against unlawful activities like deception published on social media, including mass media, it will be so tough for scattered frauds to organise themselves and cheat people.
Fraudsters are polymorphic and inconsiderate. They were also desperate and active in different places during Ramadan, a special month of self-purification! It’s also true that frauds are unable to give their country something good because they are devoid of conscience, morality, and humanity. It’s a matter of grave concern that people of different professions and ages are being deceived in Bangladesh, according to the published reports of the mass media. If the published reports regarding fraud are not taken into consideration by concerned authorities, it will be one kind of injustice to victims. As a Muslim and columnist, I cannot help but detest deception or injustice. If every person in society hates unlawful and unethical activities like fraud, nobody will dare commit crimes. Teachers, doctors, advocates, students, youngsters, netizens, and government officials are not free from the terrible clutches of fraud gangs in Bangladesh, in conformity with different published reports by mass media.
If concerned or relevant authorities are unable to stop the deceitful and destructive activities of terrible fraud gangs, the horrible frauds will be capable of disrupting the order, security, and peace of a human society.
Fraudsters apply different types of techniques to entrap people. They also try to lure people by offering different kinds of online jobs. If we analyses the published reports of mass media regarding deception, it will be very easy for us to know the authentic pictures of deceitful activities in Bangladesh. Let's try to know the pictures of fraudulent activities from some reports in mass media, though lots of informative reports about deception have been published in mass media:
1. According to the report in The Asian Age on February 13, 2024, law enforcers were capable of arresting two fraudsters with fake smart land development tax receipts (Dakhila) on February 11, 2024. It’s alarming and thinkable.
2. The members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were capable of arresting Jisan Hossain Rifat at Kadamtali in Dhaka, who was accused of making fake currency in conformity with the report of New Age on February 17, 2024. The arrestee was an operative of a gang involved in making fake currency. He also learned how to make fake currency by watching videos on YouTube. Rifat and his gang used to sell the fake notes at fish markets, launch ghats, bus terminals, and other markets. It’s evident from this report that some contents of YouTube are destructive and unlawful. In this regard, relevant authorities should take immediate steps to remove the illegal and destructive video content from YouTube.
3. According to the report of The Daily Sun on February 20, 2024, the Cyber and Special Crime (South) Unit of the Detective Branch (DB) under Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) was capable of arresting the five from Bagerhat, Narayanganj, and Dinajpur on February 13, 2024. The arrestees used to issue birth registration certificates unlawfully to thousands of people, including Rohingyas. Two of them were municipality and union parishad computer operators who used to access the birth registration portal using the credentials of the mayor, executive officers, chairman, and secretary of the respective municipalities and upazila parishad to provide birth registration certificates. Apart from these, many fake passports were issued using these birth registration certificates to avoid repaying bank loans and committing online crimes by deceiving the police. It’s also clear from this report that many notorious murderers, robbers, and anti-state criminal gangs were capable of hiding their identities and started committing crimes under new identities. It’s certainly a matter of deep concern.
4. According to another report in The Daily Sun on February 20, 2024, a female doctor at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) was cheated by a horrible fraud gang. The fraud gang opened several accounts in the names of kabiraj, darbesh, and imam on social media. The CID arrested 20 members of the gang from Dhaka and Magura after the female doctor (victim) had filed a case with Khilgaon Police Station on November 7, 2023. The arrestees used to talk to different victims in the guise of ‘Darbesh Baba', ‘Kabiraj’ or ‘Imam of Masjid Al Nabawi'. They also gave attractive and fake advertisements on social media and mass media to entrap people in the name of solving personal or secret problems. It’s clear that frauds also use social media and mass media to entrap people of different ages, including women.
5. In accordance with the report of The South Asian Times on March 18, 2024, detectives arrested three Bangladeshi associates of a Chinese fraud gang. The cunning gang recruited Bangladeshi students studying in China to facilitate fraudulent activities. As a result, the three students (arrestees) opened a gambling site in consultation with the Chinese fraudsters. The gang used to apply different techniques (honey traps, loan apps, online financing and multi-level marketing) to entrap people. The members of the fraud gang were also capable of embezzling a huge amount of money through various online scams targeting Bangladeshis. Then, the money went to China through Cryptocurrency. The masterminds (Gaga and Chig Chog) remained in China, though the arrestees operated the gambling site. The fraud gang used to lure people by offering part-time or online jobs. 30 Indian SIM cards, used for fraudulent activities, were also confiscated from arrestees' possession.
6. In conformity with the report of The Daily Sun on March 23, 2024, fraudsters cheated the parents of many higher secondary merit scholarship holders, introducing themselves as education board officials and looted money from the bank accounts of the parents of some students of Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU). Besides, several students of the university's Law department fell victim to the scholarship scam, according to NSTU students. It’s also a matter of deep concern that the students of the Law department are not free from frauds.
This report also shows us how students’ personal information or privacy is spoilt. From the above reports, it is very clear that frauds are also desperate and active in different places of Bangladesh. To uproot the culture of deception, concerned authorities should consider the following proposals: I. Monitor the suspects in different sectors, including government offices, to prevent crimes. II. Maintain the active surveillance of detective branches in necessary sectors every day. III. Take instant and necessary steps whenever fraudulent activities are published on social media or in mass media. IV. Create public awareness against deception everywhere. V.
Form more severe laws against deception because the existing laws against fraud are not enough. VI. Ensure frauds' exemplary punishment. As a columnist, I firmly believe that considering the mentioned proposals will be the identity of sagacity and dutifulness. The order, security, and peace of a human society will be hampered if deception goes on in this way. So, it’s high time to take more effective steps against deception, an obstacle to peace.
The writer is a Bangladeshi columnist having a master’s degree in English Language and Literature from Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University (JKKNIU). He could be reached at: [email protected].
Messenger/Fameema
