With this, at least four people were killed and 34 others injured in mass beating in different parts of the country in the last three days over the rumours.
In Chattogram, four people, including a woman, were injured in mass beating in separate incidents in Banshkhali upazila before being handed over to police.
Assistant sub-inspector of Banshkhali Police Station Nurul Alam said three people -- Hridoy, Joni and Sohel -- were beaten by a mob at Ilsha village in the morning.
Later, police rescued them and took them to police station.
In Mosharaf Ali Mia’s Bazar area, locals beat a woman as she was walking suspiciously.
Sub-inspector of Baharchhara police outpost Rafiqul Islam said the woman seems to be mentally challenged.
Angry mob beat a couple in Rajabari area of Savar municipality in Dhaka after they were suspected of being child-lifters.
Later, police rescued them and sent them to Upazila Health Complex.
The duo -- Roni Mia, 23, and his wife Bilkis Khatun, 20, -- was members of Ogyan Party, said sub-inspector of Savar Model Police Station Nazmul Islam.
Locals said Rumi was forcing one of her neighbours to drink energy drinks laced with sedatives but the victim started shouting. After hearing the screams, locals gathered at the spot and beat the couple suspecting them as child-lifters.
In Rajshahi, locals beat five employees of an NGO at Rawtha in Charghat upazila and handed them over to police after they were suspected of being child-lifters.
The victims were identified as Abul Hossain, 40, son of Akhtaruzzaman, Hafizur Rahman, 42, son of Moslem Uddin, and Rezaul Karim, 38, son of Lutfar Rahman of Jhakorpur village in Moksudpur upazila in Gopalganj, Kaiyum Ali, 39, son of Abdul Mazid, and Abul Kalam of Lalbagh in the capital.
Locals said the victims were collecting members for their NGO which triggered suspicion among the locals.
All of the victims are employees of Ad-Din Welfare Centre and they were looking for a house on rent in the area, said Md Shahidullah, Superintendent of Police of the district.
Locals became suspicious about their movement and started to beat them before informing police, he said.
Charghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Nazmul Haque said NGOs need approval from the local administration submitting necessary documents for starting operation in an upazila but they did not take any permission.
In Kushtia, a mentally challenged woman, Hasina Begum, 55, was severely injured as locals beat her suspecting her of being a child-lifter in Daulatpur.
Officer-in-charge of Daulatpur Police Station Azam Khan said Hasina was receiving treatment staying at her son-in-law Ashiqur Rahman Ronny’s house in Masterpara.
In the morning, she came out of the home without informing anyone while locals beat her in Shitlaipara area.
Being informed, police rushed to the spot, rescued the victim and took her to hospital for treatment.
In Jhalakati, Hasib Bappi, 27, son of Md Sohrab Hossain, fell victim to mob attack at Mirzapur village in Sadar upazila.
OC of Jhalakati Police Station Shanit Kumar Gain said Bappi is a professional thief and drug addict and he faces six cases filed with Barishal Kotwali Police Station.
People caught him suspecting him as a child-lifter after he was fleeing snatching a vanity bag from a house brandishing a sharp weapon, he said.
In Bogura, four young men were given a good beating in Gabtali upazila in the afternoon.
Police said the youths were roaming in front of a school near Durgahata union parishad complex. Upon interrogation by locals, they talked inconsistently, prompting the villagers to suspect them to be child-lifters.
Later, they caught them and beat them. They also torched a pickup van used by the youths.
On information, police rushed in and rescued the victims charging baton on the angry mob.
They also detained 15 people at that time.