Year
2025
Reform Domain
Manifesto Watch
Women
Sub Domain
Women’s Empowerment
Source of Reform Proposals
Election Manifesto of Bangladesh Nationalist Party - BNP
Reform Proposed
Reform Initiated
Legal and Policy Framework
Operationalisation
Action Implementation
Stage of Implementation
Reform Proposed
Last Update: 30-Jul-26
This pledge was articulated in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) election manifesto for Bangladesh’s 13th national election. In its election manifesto, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) states that "End gender-based violence and discrimination against women. Increase awareness to stop digital/online violence, hatred, and bullying, and take effective legal and administrative steps to stop women’s online harassment.”
Reform Initiated
Last Update: 30-Jul-26
On 7 March 2026, the Prime Minister stated that the government was giving top priority to women’s safety and taking a strict stance to stop cyberbullying and online harassment against women. On 24 April 2026, the government took an initiative to establish a dedicated cell under the Prime Minister’s Office to combat cyberbullying and strengthen digital safety. The proposed system would include a 24-hour hotline, an online reporting portal, and trained response teams for complaints related to cyberbullying, threats, impersonation, and the spread of private information.
Legal and Policy Framework
Last Update: 30-Jul-26
The ICT Division lists the Cyber Security Act, 2026 as a published law, with the law publication date recorded as 15 April 2026. This provides a general legal framework for cyber security and cyber-related offences. It also establishes or recognises institutional arrangements such as the National Cyber Security Agency, National Cyber Emergency Response Team, National Security Operation Centre, National Cyber Security Council and digital forensic laboratories.
Operationalisation
Last Update: 30-Jul-26
The Cyber Security Act, 2026 is now an enacted and enforceable law. The Act provides an operating legal framework for cyber-related offences, cyber security institutions, digital forensic support and coordination mechanisms. It is therefore not only a policy intention; the legal instrument is already in force.
However, operationalisation remains partial. The law is broad and not specifically limited to women’s online harassment. The proposed PMO-led cyberbullying cell has not yet been formally launched. No evidence was found of a dedicated women’s online harassment portal, complaint-handling SOP, hotline activation, awareness campaign rollout, case-handling data, or administrative order specifically linking police, BTRC, ICT Division and MoWCA for this pledge.
Observation
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The Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025 was published in the Bangladesh Gazette on 21 May 2025 as Ordinance No. 25 of 2025. It replaced the earlier Cyber Security Act, 2023 framework and attempted to remove some controversial provisions associated with earlier digital laws. Media reports from the drafting stage stated that defamation, cyberbullying and hurting religious sentiments were decriminalised, and that nine controversial provisions from the earlier cyber law framework were dropped or revised.
Parliament passed the retaining legislation on 9 April 2026, and the Cyber Security Act, 2026 received presidential assent and was gazetted on 10 April 2026. Later, the Cyber Security (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was passed in the National Parliament. On 6 July 2026, a Cabinet committee led by the Minister responsible for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology was formed to review and finalise the draft Cyber Security (Amendment) Act, 2026.
Despite more amendments regarding this Act being underway, this Act provides a stronger legal basis to file complaints against online violence, hatred and bullying.
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