Misuse of technology behind rising offense

Golam Mostafa Jibon: Multidimensional crimes including killing, abduction, rape and family instability are increasing day by in the society due to abnormal misuse of technologies especially social media facebook. As a result, common people are facing insecurity at everywhere, experts said.
The BTRC issued guidelines for Internet service providers to ensure ‘parental guidance facility’ in 2019, but it remains on paper.
Although, the number of juvenile gangs has increased in the last few years, the policy makers are not going for any long-term plan.
Law enforcement agencies have been carrying out frequent drives for some time.
According to expert research, the teenage gang has emerged from the misuse of technology. Recent incidents like film heroine Porimoni rape and killing bid, Rifat murder in Barguna, murder of schoolgirl Anushka in the capital’s Kalabagan, the gang rape of a Bangladeshi girl at Bangalore in India are pointing fingers at the youths and misuse of the technologies. Sociologists said, time has come to formulate tougher policies on the use of digital devices. To keep future generations safe, the law requires setting a minimum age for using social media.
Barrister Mahbubur Rahman, Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police said that, “The government has taken various initiatives to curb acid throwing, child marriage and dowry. In this case, the help of NGO can be taken. In addition, it is becoming very important to take these initiatives in private-public partnership. There is no substitute for making parents aware.”
Regarding electronic devices, the senior police official said, parents should take steps to discourage children from using digital devices as much as possible. However, even if the device is used, it must be monitored. Because of today’s children and teenagers will take the helm of the country in the future. Another issue is that as social infrastructure changes over time, family ties are weakening.
One thing should keep in mind that children take moral education from their families for ages. Policymakers should also consider this.
The research says that every discovery has its pros and cons.
At present, the youth are highly using the internet. But, due to its misuse, they are rapidly moving towards destruction. Children are getting addicted to various games at a very young age due to parental encouragement or negligence. Addiction to gang culture including juvenile delinquency has increased during the corona pandemic. The type of juvenile delinquency has also changed a lot in the lockdown situation.
At this time, technology has given a new dimension to crime. Adolescents of this age have also become more interested in sex during lazy times. Children and teenagers are not the only ones looking at educational content online. They are also searching for many unethical content that does not fit into the social context. They are trying to apply those in their own lives.
As the educational institutions are closed, the teenagers are getting organized using various social media at home. Gang culture is planned in different groups like Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber and Imo. These groups are also deciding where and when to hang out, how many bikes or cars to have, where to take position, even where to take any kind of drugs. Parents and members of law enforcement agencies are also unaware about their plans.
On the other hand, many analysts have blamed the misuse of technology as a significant reason for the increase in rape incidents in the country.
Corona pandemic has led to increased device-dependence, reduced family ties and a lack of parental responsibility towards children. The teenage gang is the creation of cyber.
Psychiatrists said, the new generation is growing addicted to unwanted websites or apps from childhood due to lack of parental awareness. Later they became violent.
Nur Mohammad, Professor of Psychology at Jagannath University said, “I have recently conducted such a survey on children and adolescents. The study found that teenagers are now abusing the opportunity to access the smartphone-centric Internet. So, at least until HSC, teenagers may not be given smartphones. For this, if necessary, the help of law enforcement agencies has to be taken.”
Citing an important part of the solution, he said the authorities should form a ward-based committee for children and adolescents. The committee will include teachers, doctors, social workers, psychologists, police, administration and political leaders. They will keep information about children and teenagers in the area.
On May 26, Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police (DB) conducting raids at Dhanmondi and Lalmatia area in the capital arrested Sadman Shakib alias Rupol and Ashhab Wadud alias Turjo, students of North South University and Adin Ashraf, a student of Independent University.
They created a syndicate of horrible LSD consumption and sales through facebook IDs and Messenger groups. Their facebook ID is called ‘Your Father’ and the name of their messenger group is ‘Better Brownie and Beyond’. This group had 1000 members.
Hafizur Rahman, a student of the Department of Informatics and Library in Dhaka University collected LSD from them and consumed it while sitting at Curzon Hall on May 15, the day after Eid.
Hafiz later stabbed himself in the neck with a coconut seller’s sharp weapon. Rupol group has been collecting and selling LSD from the Netherlands for over a year.
Some students of established families including bankers were involved in their cycle. Police have found evidence of the involvement of a Bangladeshi youth in the recent viral sexual abuse of a young woman in India. The victim and the accused are all members of the ‘Tiktak Hridoy Babu’ gang group in Hatirjheel area of the capital.
Indian police arrested them and rescued the victim. The viral video shows 3 to 4 young men physically and sexually abusing a 20-22 year old girl. The incident took place in Kerala in India. Tiktak Hridoy later shared the video with various friends in India. The video then went viral on social media within moments.
Police said, they used social media to cheat on women. At the same time, they are also involved in human trafficking abroad. The murder of Anushka Noor Amin alias Shahnoori, an ‘O’ level student of English Medium School-’Mastermind’ in Kalabagan in the capital on January 8 shocked the conscience of the common people.
According to the investigation, the arrested Iftekhar Fardin Dihan became addicted to sex fantasy after watching pornography through the internet.
He uses foreign body or sex toy in dangerous perverted sex with Anushka. Earlier, in May last year, RAB-2 members found a Facebook ID called ‘Wade Lovers’ or ‘Ganjapremi’. The group has 15,000 members. Two members of this group were arrested. The group was openly promoting the use and sale of various drugs including hemp. The organized clique used to trade drugs through groups. Details on where the drug will be available and how it will be delivered at home are given there. The syndicate then contacted through the messenger and delivered the drugs on a motorcycle. Drug money is taken through online backing.
Tanvir Zoha Khan, a cyber expert and assistant professor of computer science at Bangladesh University of Business and Technology told that, it is important to bring facebook’s ‘editing panel’ to Bangladesh as social media-centric crime is on the rise. The government should take up the matter with the facebook authorities as soon as possible. Neighboring India also has a facebook editing panel.
He said, the BTRC should move towards implementing the guidelines on ‘Parental Guidelines’ made by them. In this way, children and teenagers will be a little afraid to misuse technology. It is learned that on September 25, 2019, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission issued a directive regarding the provision of ‘Parental Guidance Facility’. The directive, signed by Director (Licensing) MA Taleb Hossain, directed the government to ensure that Internet service providers, ISPs (BTCLs), IPTSPs, cellular mobile phone operators and BWA receive eight parental guidance facilities in this regard. It was directed to take all necessary steps in this regard and inform the LL department of the commission within 15 days from that day. Otherwise, the commission will take necessary legal action against the failed organization including stopping the operation activities.
Several senior officials of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said, police are always working to maintain law and order situation. The main reason for the prevalence of such crimes is social degradation. There is also a deficit in parental discipline. Many parents do not notice what their child is actually doing by using mobile or internet.
“It would not be right to give smartphones to children below 18 years of age. If necessary, the children will use the internet on the parents’ smartphones and desktop at home. However, the desktop or laptop should be kept in an open place in which parents can watch their activities.
DMP City Cyber Crime Investigation ADC Nazmul Islam said, “We are working on technology based crimes. Besides, various agencies including CID and RAB are working on it. As the country’s digital development is happening, crimes of technology are increasing. We are ready to control these. Besides, if anyone complains, we will take immediate action.”
According to Ain O Shalish Kendra, some 975 women were raped in the nine months from January to September last year. Of them, 762 were single rape victims and 208 were gang rape victims.