Cybercrimes take many shapes and forms, from extortion to bullying to sophisticated heists carried out from outside the national borders. Bangladesh is not immune to any of these and the time to take these seriously is now.
With the increasing democratization of digital services and the internet, which is desirable and a good indicator for our much-needed digitalization, there will be an inevitable increase in the risk of cybercrimes. Some are already very prevalent.
Cybercrimes against women and children, for instance, have been on the rise with 70% of online abuse victims being women, an Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) report found.
Equally concerning is the number of young kids being cyberbullied. According to figures by the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, 49% of schoolchildren face cyberbullying while online.
As far as preventive measures are concerned, the first urgent need is clearly digital education and awareness. A 2021 study by the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh shows that teenage girls are not as aware as boys about online abuse, which makes them more vulnerable to exploitation.
These numbers are indicative of a worrying situation, and they are almost certainly not reflecting the full picture, which will be bleaker. The authorities concerned should carry out mass awareness campaigns. Police authorities should increase the capacity of its cybercrime unit.
For raising awareness of fundamental online safety schools and colleges should play a role also. Teachers should be trained to teach students about the fundamental cyber hygiene and more simply, about what to look out for.
Schools should take initiative to organize workshops for parents so that they can appropriately regulate the online activities of their children without being unnecessarily restrictive.
For those that have suffered online abuse, there should be adequate legal recourse. In addition to increasing capacity -- which primarily means having enough human resources with minimal expertise -- the police should also be trained to listen to these complaints seriously and with compassion.
Overall, policy-makers should make prevention a priority and take smart initiatives before the further spread of cybercrimes.
