Ahead of Safer Internet Day, the Cyber Support for Women and Children (CSWC) platform has urged authorities to remove any harassing content or videos targeting women, children, or any individual from all communication platforms and to take effective legal action against those involved in technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Additionally, they have called for the establishment of a structured framework to protect personal data.
This joint platform, formed under the initiative of the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and comprising 13 organizations, made this demand on Tuesday. Alongside raising these concerns, awareness campaigns are being conducted across various social media platforms, including Facebook.
The proliferation of objectionable and distorted content targeting women and children on social media constitutes cyber harassment and directly violates Articles 39 (freedom of thought, conscience, and expression) and 43 (privacy of home and communication) of the Bangladesh Constitution. Furthermore, such acts are punishable offenses under Section 26 of the Cyber Security Act, 2023 (penalizing the collection and use of personal information without consent) and Section 503 of the Penal Code, 1860 (criminal intimidation). These violations also contravene the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The platform is led by BLAST as the convening organization, with Cyber Crime Awareness Foundation (CCAF) as the joint convenor and NariPokkho as the member secretary. The 10 other member organizations include Arodhya Foundation, Article 19, Institute of Informatics and Development (IID), The Tech Academy, BRAC, Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF), Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Cyber Teens, Digitally Right Limited, and Human Rights Support Society (HRSS).
The platform has also called for collective efforts to ensure safety for women and children, under the slogan: “Let’s Raise Awareness on Cyber Security and Ensure Safety for Women and Children.”
The organization emphasized that the absence of a structured personal data protection framework in Bangladesh poses a major challenge in ensuring accountability for cyber harassment perpetrators. A recent case highlighted this issue, where an 11-year-old child was kidnapped, later rescued through mobile tracking, but subsequently had their information and video footage widely circulated on social media without any regulatory oversight. This incident amounted to cyberbullying and a severe breach of personal privacy.
Notably, Safer Internet Day is celebrated across more than 200 countries worldwide. The primary goal this year is to bring together all stakeholders to make the digital world safer and more effective, particularly for children and youth. The theme for the 22nd Safer Internet Day is: “A Better Internet for Everyone.” The event aims to promote awareness about cyberbullying, digital identity, and various challenges associated with social networking.
