In the wake of recent political changes in Bangladesh, religious conservatism has increasingly asserted its influence over public life. For years, many conservative voices remained quiet, but now there is a surge of activism calling for the “Islamization” of social norms. Much of this activity focuses on women’s clothing and mobility. These campaigns are largely citizen-driven rather than enforced through government policy or judicial intervention. A small but vocal segment has leveraged societal influence, focusing primarily on policing women's public behavior as a measure of moral authority.

Yet, behind this public conservatism, digital platforms reveal a starkly different reality. Alongside the rise of Islamist activism, disturbing trends have emerged: the proliferation of illicit sexual content on encrypted messaging platforms, including the online sale of material involving child sexual abuse and sexual assault videos.

Private groups have circulated images of family members - mothers, sisters, and wives- highlighting a troubling shift in online sexual behavior in the country.

This dual reality has created a social paradox: while Bangladesh publicly promotes strict moral codes, online activity reveals rampant exploitation and illicit demand. Experts warn that this bifurcation threatens social norms, endangers women and children, and presents significant challenges for law enforcement.

Conservatism’s Public Face

In March 2025, a female university student walking from the Dhaka National Museum to Dhaka University was harassed by a young man who commented on her attire and attempted to shame her for not wearing a veil. The student reported the incident to university authorities, and the harasser was later identified and taken to the police.

Online and offline, the response underscored a troubling social dynamic. A group calling themselves the “Touhidi community” protested in support of the harasser, framing his actions as a defense of moral order. Authorities eventually released him on bail, and supporters publicly celebrated him.

Such incidents highlight how women’s freedom of movement has become a focal point for social conservatism in Bangladesh. Other societal issues- such as corruption, inflation, infrastructure, and crime- receive comparatively little attention from these groups.

Dark Side Of Digital Platforms

While conservatism shapes public life, at the same time online platforms have become spaces for disturbing behavior, illegal marketplace and exploitative activity. Pornography consumption in Bangladesh is not new; with most sites blocked by authorities, yet accessed via VPNs for years. However, recent trends involve more extreme and illicit behavior.

Encrypted messaging apps host large groups where child sexual abuse material and sexual assault videos are openly traded. Prices range from 300–700 BDT (approximately USD 2.5–6) for collections of 100 videos featuring minors, with younger victims commanding higher prices. Such transactions reflect a disturbing commercialization of sexual exploitation.

Other groups function as forums for sexualized content involving close family members (mother, sister, and wife). Where users post images and receive sexually explicit commentary from other members.

Many groups also share AI-generated pornographic content. Membership ranges from 2,000 to over 30,000 participants. Examples include “Paribarik Kothopokothon” with over 11,000 members and “Pompom for depressed soul”, “BG Chat” where images of strangers in public spaces circulate to more than 23- 28,000 participants.

Growing Abuse

The influence of these digital groups is significant. Data from Ain o Shalish Kendra (ASK) indicate that child rape cases in the first seven months of 2025 increased by 75% compared to the previous year. Among 306 reported cases, 49 victims were aged 0–6, 94 were 7–12, and 103 were adolescents.

Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) reports that from 2020 to 2024, at least 11,758 women and girls experienced abuse, including 6,305 cases of rape, with over half under 18 years old. Cyber Crime Awareness Foundation (CCAF) data show online crimes have more than doubled in a single year, with women representing 59% of victims.

Law enforcement 

Law enforcement faces major hurdles. Encrypted apps like Telegram prevent direct intervention, that’s why tracking offenders requires sophisticated investigative work, sometimes involving undercover operations. In 2022 another telegram predator was arrested in Chittagong while operating a group named POMPOM, which used to be the open marketplace for exposing and selling pornographic content collected through hacking.

On the other hand, while social media platforms are easy to track. But in some cases the victims - often women - hesitate to report due to fear of social stigma.

Social Paradox

In Bangladesh, religiosity has become increasingly visible- yet it often manifests as ritual rather than reflection. Faith is performed, not practiced; proclaimed, not internalized. This growing collision between ritualistic piety and ethical conscience has created a quiet moral crisis.

The suppression of sexual discourse has turned curiosity into corruption. With little space for healthy education or honest conversation, repression seeks its release through pornography, voyeurism, and abuse. What could have been addressed through awareness and dialogue is instead buried under denial.

Women carry the dual burden of being both “symbols of honor” and “sources of temptation.” 

Men grow up under conflicting ideals- moral restraint on one side and digital indulgence on the other. The result is a generation torn between guilt and gratification, producing aggression, detachment, and emotional fatigue.

Gender researcher Shahzaz Sharmen warns that this cultural dissonance is eroding empathy and distorting intimacy. “When faith becomes performance and sexuality becomes shame,” she notes, “society loses its balance between conscience and control.”

The threat is no longer confined to encrypted apps. According to Shaheen Anam, Executive Director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, “Political instability, rising extremism, and moral confusion are converging to fuel new forms of violence against women and children.”

'Silent Health Emergency'

This moral dissonance is far from a Bangladeshi anomaly -  it echoes across South Asia. From India to Pakistan to Sri Lanka, the lines between desire, dominance, and digital depravity are blurring faster than ever.

In India, a shocking case in June 2025 saw a young man arrested after his mother accused him of repeated sexual assault. In Uttar Pradesh, local markets still sell rape videos openly for as little as 50 rupees, according to The Times of India (link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/dark-trade-booming-rape-videos-on-sale-at-rs-50-150/articleshow/53533461.cms).

Beyond South Asia, the pattern persists. In Japan and China, a significant portion of pornographic material depicts violence or coercion, often staged within family narratives, blurring fiction and pathology. The World Health Organization has classified this rising trend as a “silent health emergency.”

Encrypted messaging apps have become safe havens for distributing such disturbing content. “While these apps promise privacy, they also enable abuse,” says digital security expert Milton Anwar. “The solution demands joint action- governments, NGOs, and tech companies must collaborate before this digital darkness becomes irreversible.”

Protecting Vulnerable Populations

Bangladesh stands at a critical juncture. Its social reform agenda, centered on moral conduct and public behavior, must contend with hidden digital threats that endanger vulnerable populations. How the nation navigates this paradox will determine whether it moves toward a progressive, secure future or remains trapped in a cycle of moral posturing and private exploitation.

(The writer is a journalist based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Views expressed are personal. He can be reached at ashwash.chowdhury@gmail/linkedin.com/in/ashwash-chowdhury-6821bb145)