As women in Bangladesh increasingly participate in online spaces, incidents of technology-facilitated abuse have surged, including cyber harassment, blackmail, deepfakes, and coordinated digital attacks. According to Police Cyber Support for Women (PCSW) data cited by Dhaka Tribune, 60,808 women sought help for cybercrime cases by September 2024.
Among the reported cases, doxxing comprised 41%, followed by account hacking at 18%, blackmail at 17%, impersonation at 9%, and cyberbullying at 8%. Experts note that online abuse has evolved from individual trolling to organized harassment, encompassing doxxing, non-consensual image sharing, AI-generated deepfakes, and cyberstalking.
A study conducted in 2026 on deepfake perceptions among Bangladeshi women indicated a rising concern regarding the manipulation of personal images into inappropriate content. Professor Salma Akter from the University of Dhaka highlighted that women who gain visibility online often face coordinated attacks, impacting their mental health and public engagement.
In a viral incident near Dhaka University in February, involving harassment of two women, misogynistic comments flooded social media platforms. Experts caution that digital abuse in Bangladesh is transitioning to offline intimidation, particularly targeting journalists, activists, and public figures. A UN Women report from 2025-26 revealed that a third of surveyed women encountered unwanted sexual behavior online, leading to offline threats, with AI tools exacerbating the systematic nature of abuse.
Psychologists warn that prolonged exposure to online abuse can result in anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, and social withdrawal. Shahana Parveen, a clinical psychologist, emphasized that sustained harassment can instill lasting fear, causing women to avoid using phones or social media. The 2024 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics–UNFPA survey mentioned in the report indicated that 89% of women social media users faced online violence, with 75% refraining from reporting due to stigma and fear of humiliation, with the most affected group being women aged 18-30.
Shahida Akhtar, former President of Bikoshito Nari Network, expressed concerns that online abuse is often viewed as a “virtual problem” despite its tangible real-world consequences. She stressed the importance of creating a safe online environment for women to achieve a truly digital Bangladesh, framing it as a human rights imperative.
