Sharbari (pseudonym) was living with her husband and in-laws when she received an unexpected message through her sister-in-law’s Facebook messenger one afternoon. Someone using a fake Facebook profile had sent several intimate photos of her to her sister-in-law. The photos were from a past relationship.
Soon after, another account contacted Sharbari and demanded 10,000 BDT, threatening to circulate the photos if she did not pay.
By then, Sharbari and her former boyfriend had both moved on and started their married lives separately. More than a year had passed since she had built her own family, and the resurfacing of the photos created concerns about her privacy, reputation and family life.
For Sharbari, who was expecting her first child, the incident affected her mental well-being and sense of security.
After trying to find a way forward, she eventually heard from a friend about Cyber Support for Women & Children (CSWC), a platform of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) that aims to provide security for women and children in cyberspace. Through CSWC, her complaint was transferred to Digital Safety School — an initiative of Digitally Right. By reporting the case to Meta, Digitally Right was able to have the Facebook accounts spreading the photos taken down.
Cases like that of Sharbari is not an isolated incident, but rather a common occurrence in Bangladesh.
With increasing access to cyberspace, violence against women is no longer confined to the offline world. Social media platforms and messaging apps are increasingly being used to harass, intimidate, and blackmail women, putting them in compromised situations. To make the online world safer, the Digital Safety School provides practical assistance to women and vulnerable individuals experiencing online harassment.
Working both independently and in partnership with the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) through the Cyber Support for Women & Children (CSWC) platform, Digitally Right offers support in two broad areas: Meta-related assistance, including content takedowns and account recovery, and general digital security guidance to help individuals better protect themselves online.
Content takedown
For Meta-related issues, Digitally Right primarily assists victims with content takedown requests. This includes cases involving doxing, AI-generated images or videos, non-consensual intimate content, and other material that violates Meta’s Community Standards.
Online abuse has become a rampant issue with the widespread use of Artificial Intelligence. Even without sharing any explicit content online, someone can become the target of sexual abuse through AI-generated images and videos using the image of their face only.
Same was the case of Wasima (not her real name), who experienced sustained online harassment after someone created a fake social media account in her name. Images depicting her in a semi-nude state were also generated using AI and incorporated into dance videos posted on the account. The videos received sexually explicit and abusive comments. Later, Wasima’s friends and relatives were also added to the account, leading many to believe that it was genuine.
As a result, she received angry calls and messages from family members who believed she was responsible for the content.
Wasima sought police assistance and a case was filed. The account was later shut down through police intervention but it was subsequently reactivated. When she sought support through CSWC, Digitally Right was able to permanently remove two fake accounts created in Wasima’s name as well as any content that was spread impersonating her.
Cyber violence has added a new layer to the already persistent gender-based violence in society. Digital platforms are used as tools to generate fear, cause harm and silence individuals through online harassment, threats, cyberbullying, stalking, and the non-consensual sharing of personal information or images. For millions of women and girls in Bangladesh navigating the digital world today, online violence is an alarming reality.
Beyond the digital sphere, these incidents frequently disrupt women’s family lives, damage relationships, affect mental health and silence them from participating online.
Account recovery
Facebook and Instagram accounts sometimes face false copyright claims, coordinated reporting campaigns, or other malicious activities resulting in them being compromised or suspended. Digitally Right helps individuals to recover these accounts by escalating them to Meta.
When Zyma Islam, a journalist at The Daily Star, responded to a message, she did not expect it to lead to the suspension of her Facebook account. She had received several messages from an unfamiliar account asking for help. After she responded to the messages, Meta suspended her account, citing “sexual solicitation” as the reason.
The incident occurred again on June 30, this time involving another Facebook profile. Zyma’s account was suspended shortly after she responded to a message from the account. She recovered her account on both occasions, but the experience highlights how women, including those with access to information and support, can face digital security risks.
For women and girls from marginalised communities, the risks and consequences are more pronounced. Limited access to information, support and justice can make it harder to respond when their digital identity, privacy or safety is threatened.
Removing fake or compromised profiles
Digitally Right also supports women and other vulnerable groups facing digital security threats by providing practical, hands-on assistance when online incidents occur. One important area of support is helping individuals report and remove fake Facebook profiles created to impersonate them.
Nupur (pseudonym) became the target of online gender-based violence when a fake Facebook account was created using her name and profile photograph. The account was used to circulate intimate images of her among family members and relatives. Within a short period, the images had reportedly reached around 300 people.
Nupur’s aunt, Parul (pseudonym), is a community-based organisation member of BLAST’s Shikha Project, which works to prevent gender-based violence and strengthen community awareness and support. Drawing on her connection with the project, Parul reached out for assistance when the family was unable to obtain an effective response from the police.
She was referred to the cybercrime authorities, as well as BLAST’s helpline. BLAST subsequently sent the complaint to Digitally Right, who then became involved and helped have the fake account taken down.
Confidentiality was particularly important to Nupur and her family. As she was married and living with her in-laws, Parul feared that public exposure of the incident could put Nupur’s marriage and emotional wellbeing at risk.
Although it takes place online, for a Bangladeshi woman, the social context affects her well-being, dignity, safety, and social participation. Survivors often experience fear, anxiety, loss of confidence, and social isolation.
Personal information may be used to carry out malicious activities not only through fake profiles but also by hacking into someone’s own account, causing them to lose important information and connections. Rima (pseudonym) experienced online harassment after her social media account was hacked and her photographs were misused to impersonate her. The person behind the hacked account contacted people, including some of Rima’s relatives, and solicited money while posing as her. The incident caused her significant anxiety and left her feeling harassed and distressed.
Rima eventually sought assistance from CSWC to report the account. With support from Digitally Right, she was ultimately able to have the account blocked and disabled, bringing an immediate end to the misuse of her identity and photographs.
Digitally Right’s support is designed to be accessible to anyone facing online violence. Women facing a digital security incident can reach Digitally Right primarily through WhatsApp (01716585834) or email (support@digitalsafetyschool.com), making it easier to seek timely assistance, understand what has happened, and take practical steps towards protecting their digital identity, privacy, and safety.
For women facing online harassment, having someone to turn to can make a significant difference. Digitally Right’s work extends beyond taking down harmful content or recovering compromised accounts. It is also about helping women regain a sense of safety and control when technology is being used against them.
The article was commissioned to Nabila Nazrul, a senior sub-editor at The Business Standard, by Digitally Right.