Nearly 89 percent of women social media users in Bangladesh have experienced online violence at least once, speakers said at a National Consultation, calling for urgent and coordinated action to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV).
They made the call at a programme titled “Prevention, Mitigation and Response for Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence in the Context of Digital Development: The Role of Technology Platforms” held on Thursday.
Speakers stressed the need for stronger policies, greater accountability of technology platforms and wider public awareness to tackle the growing threat amid rapid digital expansion.
The consultation was organised by the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) at the CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka. It brought together policymakers, law enforcement officials, regulators and development experts.
The event was held under the project “Strengthening Resilience Against Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) and Promoting Digital Development”. The project is being implemented as part of the “Nagorikata: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF)” programme, funded by Switzerland, Global Affairs Canada and the European Union, with technical assistance from GFA Consulting Group.
Among the discussants were Mohammad Anwar Uddin, Additional Secretary of the ICT Division; Barrister Khalilur Rahman, acting Director General of the NGO Affairs Bureau; Md Jahidul Islam, Additional DIG of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID); Md Farhan Alam, Deputy Director of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC); Md Nurul Islam, Capacity Development and Management Expert at GFA Consulting Group’s Nagorikata Programme; and Tahrina Tahrima Chowdhury, Research Fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), among others.
Speakers said that while technology has improved access to services, it has also led to a rise in online violence, including blackmail, identity fraud, image manipulation, data breaches, cyber harassment and hate speech.
They identified women, adolescents and gender-diverse individuals as the most vulnerable groups.
Data presented at the event, based on a 2024 report by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and UNFPA, showed that 89 per cent of women social media users in Bangladesh have faced online violence at least once. Those aged between 18 and 30 are at the highest risk.
In his opening remarks, AHM Bazlur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of BNNRC, highlighted the evolving and complex nature of gender-based violence in the digital age. He stressed the need for coordinated measures to ensure prevention, protection, timely redress and survivor-centred support.
Participants called for stronger policy and institutional frameworks, better access to justice and remedies, greater accountability of technology platforms and service providers, and increased awareness at individual, family and community levels. They also discussed introducing national ID-based verification systems to reduce fake social media accounts and ensuring localised services tailored to Bangladesh.
The discussion outlined various forms of TFGBV, including cyberstalking, cyberbullying, doxxing, hacking, online harassment, image-based abuse, child grooming, technology-facilitated sexual violence and gender-based hate speech.
Md Farhan Alam of BTRC said the commission received 13,023 complaints for content removal on social media last year, and removed more than 12,000 pieces of content.
He said around 90 per cent of complainants were women and stressed the need to raise awareness at the family level to prevent online harassment.
Mohammad Anwar Uddin, Additional Secretary of the ICT Division, said Bangladesh already has several legal frameworks to address TFGBV. He noted that greater public awareness of these laws is necessary.
The consultation also noted that women are often subjected to doxxing, where personal information is shared without consent to intimidate or threaten them. Speakers warned that such violence can have long-term psychological impacts and stressed the need for stronger preventive measures at both administrative and social levels.
