Women's privacy violated in the race for views as unprepared moments treated as 'content'
A recent incident near Madhur Canteen at the University of Dhaka revealed a troubling trend.
During a programme, a man was seen zooming in from a distance with his mobile phone to record a young couple who were taking personal photographs.
The video later spread across social media. The individual who secretly recorded the footage is reportedly a journalist affiliated with an online news portal.
The incident has triggered criticism over the recording and dissemination of such content in public spaces without consent.
This is not an isolated case. Numerous images and videos captured without consent continue to circulate online, often garnering hundreds of thousands of views and generating income for the profiles that share them.
In a recent example, a photograph of a woman holding her scarf tightly over her face in visible distress was circulated on Facebook with a misleading caption stating, “Today’s girls…cover their faces with cloth.”
In the comments, an individual clarified the actual situation, explaining that the woman had been frantically searching for her missing child at the time. The moment was secretly recorded and later published with a distorted narrative.
Similarly, images of a couple embracing in a crowded metro rail carriage and of two young women smoking discreetly during Pohela Boishakh were captured from a distance and shared on Facebook with suggestive captions.
Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director of Digitally Right, which studies the impact of technology on information systems, described this phenomenon as “voyeurism”.
He explained that deriving pleasure from observing others’ private moments without their knowledge constitutes a form of behavioural distortion.
Unprepared moments as ‘content’
An analysis of 37 Facebook pages and personal profiles that share such content reveals a consistent pattern: videos of women recorded without their knowledge are regularly uploaded.
Many of these videos are filmed from rooftops or elevated locations, capturing women engaged in daily activities or moving about, often in unguarded moments. The comment sections of these posts frequently contain indecent language.
Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury noted that there is a demand for such content. He stated that certain pages and personal profiles exploit this distorted interest by publishing these videos and images, using clickbait strategies to increase revenue. As a result, individuals’ privacy is violated and victims often suffer social harm.
Published with indecent captions
One identified Facebook profile—operating in “professional mode” and functioning similarly to a page—has approximately 48,000 followers and regularly disseminates such content.
The profile frequently posts videos of women in unguarded moments accompanied by indecent captions.
For instance, images of a woman collecting water from a tap have been taken from behind using zoom, while another still image shows a woman working at a stove.
Some images are labelled with the term “bhabi” (sister-in-law) and accompanied by suggestive captions.
Such posts tend to attract high viewership. One video with an indecent caption has been viewed nearly 700,000 times, while others have exceeded one million views.
Another personal Facebook profile, with around 79,000 followers, claims to focus on motorbikes, food, travel, and tours. However, it also publishes various videos centred on women, using suggestive captions to increase engagement.
A separate Facebook page, described as an “adult entertainment club” and followed by approximately 11,000 users, shares covertly recorded videos with captions such as “Stay with us for more videos like this” and “Part two is coming.”
These posts include multiple parts of secretly recorded footage, allegedly filmed in restaurants, parks, and even inside cinema halls, depicting private moments of men and women and subsequently circulated online.
Millions of followers, millions of views
A Facebook page with its name written in English lists its category as an “Arts and Humanities Website”.
However, most of its videos show women sitting in restaurants or parks, or walking along streets, repeatedly filmed with zoom-in and zoom-out effects. It also contains footage of couples captured from a distance.
The page has published a video filmed at Cox’s Bazar beach, which also includes a teenage girl. The video shows people enjoying themselves in the sea waves, presented with suggestive framing.
A viral background song has been added to the footage, and the video has reached millions of views.
Other reels on the page show women in unguarded moments at cultural events during Pohela Boishakh, amusement venues, and tourist sites.
These clips are accompanied by viral songs and captions containing disturbing comments. These videos have attracted views ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions.
Some pages also publish videos under the guise of awareness content, secretly recording boys and girls in parks.
One Facebook page with 1.9 million (19 lakh) followers, primarily focused on women riding motorbikes, uploaded a 43-second video of two young people, allegedly to warn parents.
The video, said to have been recorded on 15 April, has been viewed more than 3.7 million (37 lakh) times, with around 143,000 reactions, nearly 7,500 comments, and over 1,500 shares.
A personal Facebook profile written in English, with around 4,000 followers, has a 29-second secretly recorded video with indecent captions that has been viewed 65,000 times.
Another similar video showing intimate moments between a man and a woman has been viewed over 70,000 times. A separate Facebook page with an English name has recorded around 78,000 views for similar content.
Although Prothom Alo has access to the details of these profiles and pages, it has not published them in line with editorial policy.
He advised victims of cyber violence to report incidents through the Police Cyber Support for Women hotline (01320000888), the Facebook page “Police Cyber Support for Women – PCSW”, or via email at ([email protected]).
Statements from those recording and sharing videos
The couple-related video mentioned at the beginning of the report is allegedly linked to a journalist named Abul Kalam.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from a private university and joined an online news portal last year.
Abul Kalam told Prothom Alo that he did not record the video with any ill intent.
He said he was sitting at the event when he noticed what he described as romantic behaviour between the young couple and found the scene pleasant, so he recorded it as a “beautiful moment”.
He added that he did not upload the video anywhere. He claimed that he is being portrayed on Facebook as having a negative mindset deliberately, and that his organisation is also being unfairly defamed despite having no involvement.
When asked about reports that he was seen smiling while recording the video, he responded, “I was smiling because I found the scene pleasant. Others present there were also smiling.”
In addition, Prothom Alo sent messages to 15 other Facebook profiles and pages. Only one page administrator responded.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said they regularly publish content based on viral issues.
However, he admitted that they do not seek consent from those featured in the videos, and stated that they would remove content if anyone objects.
When asked about the violation of privacy through the publication of women’s private and unguarded moments, he said, “Not just us, many large pages and profiles are also posting such videos. We simply share viral issues after seeing them there.”
What the law says
Section 25 of the Cyber Security Act 2026 sets out offences and penalties relating to sexual harassment, blackmail, and the publication of obscene content.
The provision states that if any person, intentionally or knowingly, through a website or any other digital or electronic medium, disseminates stored information, video footage, audio-visual material, still images, graphics, or AI-generated or edited data with the intent to blackmail, sexually harass, engage in revenge pornography, distribute digital child sexual abuse material, or commit sextortion, and such material is harmful or threatening, then the act constitutes an offence.
For such offences, the law provides for a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 1 million (10 lakh) or both.
If the victim is under 18 years of age, the punishment is more severe, carrying a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 2 million (20 lakh) or both.
Higher number of offences, fewer complaints
It remains difficult to determine precisely how many Facebook pages are circulating obscene videos, images, and other content. However, at a roundtable discussion held on 2 March at the Prothom Alo office, deputy inspector general of Police Headquarters Taptun Nasrin stated that over the past five years, the police have received 87,727 complaints related to online violence against women. Of these, action has been taken in 52,702 cases, while only 180 resulted in formal cases.
Additional Superintendent of Police Suman Ahmed Shawon told Prothom Alo that most women who experience harassment do not pursue legal action.
However, if victims or their guardians file complaints, the police can take action. He added that authorities may request the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to remove content, and the police may also take legal steps against offenders.
He advised victims of cyber violence to report incidents through the Police Cyber Support for Women hotline (01320000888), the Facebook page “Police Cyber Support for Women – PCSW”, or via email at ([email protected]).
At another roundtable on 13 April at the Prothom Alo office, Director General (Administration) and Joint Secretary of BTRC Md Mehedi-ul-Shahid said that the commission received 13,023 complaints regarding removal of social media content last year, of which more than 12,000 items were taken down. He noted that around 90 per cent of complainants were women.
Following a complaint from a victim, nine members of a Telegram-based network named “Pompom” were arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in May 2023.
The group sold private images and videos of young women and girls, hacked Facebook and Instagram accounts, and used blackmail to extract money. If victims refused, they were forced into compromising video calls.
Members from countries including Canada, the United States, England, the Middle East, Singapore, Malaysia, and Portugal joined the group by paying monthly subscription fees.
They purchased private videos of underage girls. The group’s leader, Abu Sayeem from Chattogram, identified himself as “Mark Zuckerberg”. CID also found evidence of transactions worth millions of taka across multiple bank accounts linked to him.
How can this trend be stopped?
Monisha Biswas, focal person of the Cyber Support for Women and Children (CSWC) platform of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), told Prothom Alo that many women and their families do not come forward due to social stigma.
In many cases, they are unaware that their videos have been secretly recorded and circulated. As a result, complaints are not filed, which allows perpetrators to exploit the situation.
She further stated that if court spontaneously directs the police to take action, such crimes could be reduced.
Following a report published in the Daily Manabzamin about the matter, a court issued a suo moto order on 19 October last year.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka Md Zakir Hossain directed that Telegram pornography-related groups, administrators, and those involved in financial transactions be identified and cases be filed.
He also instructed the deputy commissioner of the Cyber and Special Crime Division of the Detective Branch to appoint an experienced investigating officer.
However, lawyer Monisha Biswas stated that no significant progress has been observed following the court’s order.
Fauzia Moslem, president of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, attributed this disturbing trend partly to the lack of healthy cultural practice in society.
She told Prothom Alo that this void is increasingly being filled by the digital space, leading to various distortions, particularly the non-consensual exposure of women’s private moments.
She added that individuals must refrain from harmful curiosity and mockery, and stressed the importance of families and educational institutions in teaching respect for women and core values.