IT is impossible in all probability to find a woman in Bangladesh who has not been sexually harassed online, but try locating one who has sought legal recourse for it under the Digital Security Act (DSA), and it is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

Amina is one such rare example. A final year student of University of Dhaka, she filed a case under DSA against a person who was threatening her online in 2020, but is still waiting for something, anything, to happen. She requested anonymity to avoid reprisal.

“I had to go to the cyber crime department to where the police officer sat me and my harasser down together, and then mocked me in front of him for wanting to proceed with this case,’’ narrated Amina. As the officer made light of the situation, her harasser smirked.

She was directed to the lower court to file a petition, requesting for the investigation to begin, on November 15, 2020. Her petition was accepted and she was told that the investigation report will be sent to the police station within a week. “Since then, there has been no news regarding that case,” said Amina.

Women in Bangladesh face horrific online abuse despite legislation to address it

Sexual harassment of women online is of epidemic proportions, and women have had little recourse except to accept it as the price to pay for speaking up.

Earlier this year, a horrific incident of rape and murder of a student left people reeling. When the deceased’s teenage classmates — mere school-children — left their books and desks to hold up banners on Dhanmondi road in Dhaka and demand justice, a barrage of men jumped on their photos, videos and posts.

“Is this not the ***** who had gone to group study? She had voluntarily been raped so why is she asking for justice?” wrote a man beneath a Facebook photo of a young girl holding up a placard saying “My body, my choice”. A few hundreds rushed in to support the sentiment.

An equally vicious online attack occurred when protesters were demanding justice for the woman gang-raped in Noakhali last year in October. As women marched and occupied the streets, day — and night — the harassers yanked it up a notch.

“In just a while they will start selling their bodies,” said one commenter beneath a livestream of the women. “You will show your chests and walk about and we won’t rape? Learn how to dress first,” said another.

“The online public space is an extension or another version of the physical public space. Being online for women means the same thing — violence or fear of violence,” said Umama Zillur, founder of Kotha, an organisation that has been pushing back against gender-based violence on social media.

Data from the Cyber Crimes Tribunal shows that 1,228 cases were filed under DSA since the inception of the law in October 2018. Judging by the number of cases filed and the barrage of harassers active on social media, it is clear that women are not using this law to protect themselves.

The writer is a reporter at The Daily Star, Bangladesh.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2021