Victims of online harassment in Bangladesh say they face intimidation and further mistreatment even after seeking legal protection, raising concerns about how the justice system responds to cyberbullying and other forms of digital abuse.
Trishia Nashtaran, a former student of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), sought legal action five years ago after becoming a victim of cyberbullying. However, she alleges that she was repeatedly harassed throughout the process, from the police station to the court.
Recalling her experience, the engineer and strategist said she began receiving calls from unfamiliar numbers. The callers were family members of the person against whom she had filed a case.
Nashtaran alleged that the police station had shared her phone number with the accused person’s family members so they could settle the matter with her outside the police station.
She also recalled an incident in which police personnel came to her home in the morning.
“They told me, ‘You were asked to appear in court, but you did not appear. Now we have received a non-bailable arrest warrant. We have been instructed to arrest you and take you with us,’” she said.
Victims of sexual harassment, kidnapping, fraud and other offences are often blamed for what happened to them. The same trend is also evident on social media, where victims can face criticism and public humiliation.
Women face harassment online and offline
Several students speaking about cyberbullying stressed the importance of respecting people’s emotions and treating victims with empathy.
One student said those who engage in cyberbullying are real people, as are the people they target, and that everyone’s feelings deserve respect. She added that women need to develop emotional resilience because harassment is not limited to the online world.
The student said she had also faced repeated harassment by outsiders on the Dhaka University campus. Some of her senior female peers had experienced similar treatment, she added.
She expressed frustration over what she described as a lack of concern from the university’s proctorial team about harassment on campus, questioning what more could be expected regarding cyberbullying.
Online abuse can also have a significant impact on victims’ families, according to a media professional. Negative comments and posts shared on social media can leave family members feeling ashamed or deter them from seeking legal assistance because they fear public judgment.
Facebook group seeks to expose online harassment
The Facebook group No More Silence has launched an initiative against online harassment and obscene comments. The group, which began operating last year, claims to have publicly identified more than 150 people accused of cyberbullying.
Its founder, Abir Ahmed, said the group had publicly identified around 100 to 150 individuals, including women.
He said the group had received threats and faced derogatory comments in various places. Some people had also sought retaliation against its members.
Despite these obstacles, Ahmed said, the group had continued its work while dealing with the threats and other forms of resistance.
Experts say holding offenders accountable is essential, but ensuring ethical, humane and responsible behaviour online is equally important.
Experts call for greater awareness
Dr BM Mainul Hossain, a professor at the Institute of Information Technology at the University of Dhaka, said social media usage in Bangladesh had grown substantially, with tens of millions of people using these platforms.
However, he said government agencies and relevant ministries had taken comparatively few initiatives to raise public awareness about responsible social media use.
“Society needs more than doctors, engineers, scientists or researchers. Developing skilled professionals is important, but it is equally necessary to nurture people with humanitarian and social values and to build the next generation accordingly,” he said.
The Cyber Crime Awareness Foundation, a voluntary organisation working on cybercrime issues, says women account for nearly 80% of online crime victims in Bangladesh, with most aged between 14 and 22.
According to the organisation, however, most victims do not file formal complaints because of social stigma and a lack of awareness.
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