By Tasmiah Nuhiya Ahmed
Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh | Partner, FM Associates
Private photos or videos shared without consent in Bangladesh can leave a person facing fear, humiliation and pressure to remain silent. Sometimes the abuse begins with a secretly recorded video. In other cases, a trusted person threatens to publish an intimate photograph unless money is paid or further demands are met.
If this happens to you, focus first on your safety, preserving evidence and seeking help. Reporting the abuse and requesting removal can proceed together.
Sharing an image privately does not mean agreeing to its public circulation. Consent to a relationship, a photograph or a recording should never be treated as unrestricted permission to distribute intimate material.
Protect yourself and preserve evidence
If someone threatens physical harm or pressures you to meet, move to a safe place and contact police. Bangladesh’s national emergency number is 999. Tell someone you trust, especially if the person making threats knows your home or workplace.
Before deleting messages or blocking an account, preserve the information you safely can:
- Links to the posts, profiles, groups or websites involved.
- Usernames, telephone numbers and other visible account details.
- Threatening messages and the dates and times they were received.
- Demands for money, payment records and transaction references.
- Platform report numbers and responses.
Keep existing devices and original records unchanged where possible. Avoid editing your only evidence copy. Ask police or your lawyer how to preserve and submit sensitive files securely, including whether forensic assistance is necessary.
If sexual imagery involves someone under 18, do not download, screenshot or forward the imagery to collect evidence. Record the URL, account details and non-explicit threats, and seek police guidance. Do not repost any private material to expose the offender: that can increase circulation and deepen the harm.
Respond to blackmail without increasing your exposure
Do not send additional intimate images, account passwords or money in response to threats. Paying cannot guarantee that the material will be deleted or that demands will stop. If you have already paid or complied, keep the records and seek assistance. You can still report what happened.
Avoid meeting the person alone or trying to take their phone. After preserving evidence, report and block the account, unless an investigating officer advises otherwise for a specific investigative purpose.
Secure your accounts using a trusted device. Change compromised passwords, enable two-factor authentication and review active sessions, recovery details, shared albums and cloud access. Prioritise your email account if it controls password resets for other services.
Request removal from platforms and search results
Report each offending post or message through the platform’s reporting tools. Explain whether it involves intimate imagery shared without consent, sexual exploitation, blackmail, impersonation or fabricated sexual content. Include the exact URLs and retain complaint references.
If an image is edited or generated using artificial intelligence, state that clearly. A fabricated image can still cause serious harm, and the report should identify the manipulation.
Google accepts removal requests for qualifying personal sexual content, including real and fabricated imagery. Removing a Google search result does not delete the material from the website hosting it. Submit reports to the hosting platform as well.
Two specialist services may also help:
- StopNCII.org: Eligible adults can create a digital fingerprint of intimate images on their device. The fingerprint, rather than the image itself, is shared with participating platforms to help identify matching content. It does not cover the entire internet.
- Take It Down: This service may help where the person depicted was under 18 when the image was taken, even if they are now an adult. Use only material already on your device. Do not download or ask anyone to send imagery to use the service. Coverage depends on participating services.
What legal protection is available in Bangladesh?
Section 25 of the সাইবার সুরক্ষা আইন, ২০২৬ (Cyber Protection Act 2026) addresses specified online blackmail, sexual harassment, revenge pornography and sextortion, including relevant threats and AI-generated material. The general maximum penalty is two years’ imprisonment, a Tk 10 lakh fine, or both. For offences against a woman or a child under 18, the maximum is five years, a Tk 20 lakh fine, or both.
The Pornography Control Act 2012 may also apply. Section 8 addresses specified production, exploitation and distribution offences. A private photograph is not automatically pornography; the statutory definition, conduct and evidence matter.
The applicable charges require individual assessment, including how the material was obtained and used. A lawyer should consider the timing of the alleged conduct and relevant legal provisions before advising on proceedings.
Make a written police complaint
Prepare a clear timeline explaining what happened, how the material was obtained, whether you consented to recording or sharing, where it appeared, and what threats or demands followed. Attach an organised evidence list. If you do not know the person’s real identity, provide the available profile links and contact details.
Ask for an acknowledgement and complaint or case reference. A general diary may document an incident, but should not be assumed to replace appropriate criminal proceedings.
Under section 40(2) of the 2026 Act, an unsuccessful police approach can be followed by a written Tribunal complaint supported by an affidavit. The Tribunal examines the complainant and, if satisfied, directs investigation. Obtain legal assistance with this procedure.
Women can also contact Police Cyber Support for Women for legal and technological assistance:
- Hotline: 01320000888
- Email: cybersupport.women@police.gov.bd
The service states that it protects the confidentiality of victims’ information.
Support the person affected
Families and friends can help by organising evidence, accompanying the person to police and reducing the burden of monitoring abusive messages. Ask what support they want. Avoid blame, intrusive questions or pressure to make a public statement.
If you receive someone else’s private material, do not forward it or share identifying details. Report the content and inform the affected person discreetly.
The person experiencing abuse should be able to seek help without further humiliation. Careful evidence preservation, prompt reporting and coordinated removal requests can help address the harm while legal action is considered.
This article provides general legal information for Bangladesh, reviewed on 10 November 2026. Advice in an individual matter depends on its facts and the applicable law.