AS FAST as Bangladesh鈥檚 social, political and economic progress has been, social awareness and changes in mentality have not kept pace. No matter how many laws and policies the country formulates to protect women鈥檚 rights, safety and dignity, in reality women continue to face discrimination, harassment and psychological oppression at various levels. The most alarming development is the rise of a new form of violence in the digital age: tagging and cyberbullying.
These terms are no longer unfamiliar. Incidents of personal attacks, derogatory comments, false information, defamation, or the sharing of sexually suggestive content against women on social media are increasing by the day. Particularly disturbing is the way anyone who speaks out for women鈥檚 rights, safety, or equality in a patriarchal society is quickly attacked with labels such as 鈥榮hahbaghi鈥� or 鈥榝eminist鈥�. As a result, the central issue, the demand for women鈥檚 rights and security, recedes into the background, replaced by the character assassination of the individual.
Bangladesh now has tens of millions of internet users. From young people to policymakers, citizens are active on Facebook, X, YouTube and TikTok. This vast digital space has created new possibilities for information sharing and civic mobilisation, but also given rise to 鈥榙igital mobs鈥�, where groups of users, sometimes organised, sometimes spontaneous, target individuals for online attacks.
When a women鈥檚 rights activist, journalist, writer, or ordinary citizen raises her voice against harassment or discrimination, she is often not met with constructive debate but with personal hostility. Her private life is probed, fake photos and distorted videos are circulated, and fabricated stories are spread to discredit her. These attacks can be swift, coordinated and deeply damaging, leaving victims anxious, humiliated and mentally exhausted.
Tagging, or putting a label on someone in the digital space, is not merely crude behaviour; it is a deliberate strategy. It shifts attention away from what is being said towards who is saying it. Calling someone a 鈥榝eminist鈥� or 鈥榮hahbaghi鈥� is rarely neutral, it carries sarcasm, hatred and moral judgement. Over time, this has created a climate of fear, where many choose silence over participation. That silence is the real danger, because when people hesitate to speak about women鈥檚 rights or safety, injustice festers unchallenged. In this way, tagging has evolved into a form of social censorship.
Alongside tagging, cyberbullying has become a frighteningly common reality. Women receive abusive messages, threats and blackmail through Facebook inboxes, comment sections, Twitter replies and even emails. The consequences go beyond emotional distress. Many women withdraw from public spaces, face professional setbacks, or leave their workplaces and online platforms altogether. Studies show that a large share of Bangladeshi women internet users have experienced online harassment, yet only a small fraction seek legal assistance. Complex procedures, evidentiary requirements and the fear of social stigma keep most victims silent.
This culture of indifference makes matters worse. When people repeatedly witness abuse without reacting, it becomes normalised. Targeting women, dragging out their personal information, or using obscene language has become disturbingly routine. In social psychology, this is known as the 鈥渂ystander effect鈥�: everyone assumes someone else will speak up. The result is impunity for abusers and deeper isolation for victims.
Bangladesh has several laws that can be used to prosecute online harassment or defamation. Yet their practical effectiveness in protecting women remains questionable. The procedures are often cumbersome and time-consuming. Even after filing a complaint with the cybercrime unit, the challenges of collecting evidence, identifying perpetrators and pursuing cases can be overwhelming. Above all, social shame and fear of retaliation still silence many women. Laws alone cannot resolve this crisis without broader social awareness and empathy.
To counter tagging and cyberbullying, the media, educational institutions and social organisations must act together. Lessons on digital ethics and cyber safety should be introduced in schools, colleges and universities. The media should safeguard victims鈥� privacy while producing responsible, awareness-raising reports. We must stand beside women鈥檚 rights advocates, explain their messages clearly, and strengthen fact-checking to curb fake news and defamation.
While the state and institutions have the primary responsibility, individual awareness also matters. Women can take preventive steps by limiting the sharing of personal information and locations, preserving evidence of harassment such as screenshots and links, tightening privacy settings, and using block and report functions to protect their mental wellbeing. Yet these are only defensive measures 鈥� not long-term solutions.
Real change requires transforming social attitudes. Our society still divides women into 鈥榬espectable鈥� and 鈥榙isrespectable鈥� categories. A woman who speaks out against injustice is mocked and 鈥榯agged鈥�, while a man expressing the same view is praised as 鈥榖rave鈥�. Unless this double standard ends, the struggle for women鈥檚 rights will remain unequal. Families must teach gender equality from childhood, and schools must reinforce it through moral and civic education. Public discourse, media campaigns and family dialogue are essential to change these ingrained perceptions.
At the institutional level, we must ensure speedy tribunals in cybercrime cases, protection of victims鈥� privacy, and stronger local content moderation on social media platforms. Government agencies, NGOs and civil society should jointly organise awareness programmes on digital ethics, and provide psychological and legal support hotlines for women journalists, writers and activists. Responsible, evidence-based journalism 鈥� not sensationalism or slander 鈥� must guide the digital space.
Tagging and cyberbullying are no longer isolated personal problems; they are major obstacles to social justice and human rights. Their impact on women鈥檚 rights is profound, for the ultimate aim of such attacks is to silence women鈥檚 voices. Yet history teaches us that no injustice lasts when people stand united and aware. What we need now is solidarity, moral courage and collective consciousness.
It is not the fear of being 鈥榯agged鈥� that should define us, but the courage to challenge those tags and speak the truth. Ending cyberbullying and digital harassment will not only ensure women鈥檚 safety, it will help build a fairer, more respectful and humane society. If we cannot protect and respect women in the digital age, no matter how advanced our technology becomes, our social progress will remain painfully incomplete.
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Sadia Sultana Rimi is a student of Mathematics at Jagannath University.
