Bangladesh is grappling with a sharp escalation in cybercrime, with women and children accounting for nearly 97 per cent of all cyber violence victims, according to a report by a Bangladesh-based Cyber Support for Women and Children Platform. The findings, drawn from an analysis of 29 cases documented since January 2025, underscore a deepening crisis that law enforcement agencies describe as one of the country's most pressing security challenges.

Scale of the Crisis

Online fraud networks are rapidly widening their reach across Bangladesh, with teenagers emerging as the primary targets. According to police headquarters and intelligence sources cited in local media, three out of every five girls and young women in the country have experienced cyberbullying at some point.

Cybercriminals are increasingly stealing banking and financial credentials, raising the risk of large-scale financial fraud. Separately, significant sums of money are reportedly being routed through Mobile Financial Services (MFS) accounts linked to online gambling platforms, complicating the financial trail for investigators.

Why Victims Stay Silent

Despite the scale of the problem, reporting rates remain critically low. Nearly 89 per cent of victims refrain from filing complaints, citing fear of social stigma. Even among those who do come forward, approximately 72 per cent of cases remain unresolved or are dismissed by authorities for lack of evidence, according to Daily Sun, Bangladesh's leading Bengali-language newspaper.

This combination of under-reporting and low case resolution rates has created a cycle that critics argue effectively shields perpetrators from accountability.

Legal Framework and Institutional Gaps

Police data covering the last five years shows that a total of 4,794 cases have been registered under three laws: the Information and Pornography Control Act-2012, the Information and Communication Technology Act-2006, and the Digital Security Act-2018. However, the absence of a dedicated cybercrime investigation unit has been identified as a major structural obstacle to resolving these cases effectively.

Notably, the volume of registered cases represents only a fraction of the actual incidence, given the high rate of non-reporting documented by civil society organisations.

What the Police Chief Said

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ali Hossain Fakir has publicly acknowledged the severity of the situation, describing cybercrime and the spread of online rumours as among Bangladesh's most urgent law enforcement challenges. Speaking at the graduation parade of the 42nd batch of Cadet Sub-Inspectors at the Sharda Police Academy in Rajshahi, he warned that offences including online gambling, phishing, and social media misinformation have become increasingly widespread across the country.

What Comes Next

Law enforcement investigations indicate that the indiscriminate exploitation of digital technology for criminal activity has reached an alarming threshold. Advocates and civil society groups are calling for a dedicated cybercrime unit, stronger victim-support mechanisms, and awareness campaigns to reduce the stigma that prevents survivors from seeking justice. Without structural reform, experts warn, the gap between actual victimisation and reported cases will continue to widen.