A Very Serious Issue of Cyberbullying in Bangladesh

Cyberbullying is a sort of tormenting that happens over online stages and advanced gadgets. It includes sharing individual or private informations, sending, posting, sharing negative and false substance to mortify somebody. It is happening using different kinds of platforms, such as Social Media, SMS, Instant Message and Email. Internet has turned into the foundation of a wide range of correspondence frameworks and it is additionally a standout amongst the most vital wellsprings of information in the present digitalized world (Haque, 2016). It is a system of systems that comprises of a millions of private and open, scholarly, business and government systems of neighborhood to worldwide degree that are connected by copper wires, fiber optic links, remote associations, and different innovations (Haque, 2016). The number of people using Internet in Bangladesh is huge. There are 60.68 million web clients, of which 21 percent utilize Facebook and 36 percent YouTube (AMTOB, 2017). About 84 percent of the net clients are between of 18 and 34 (AMTOB, 2017). With its blessings it has also brought cyber-crime, Bangladesh is also affected by that. People here in Bangladesh are being the victims of hacking, theft, cyber stalking, malicious software, identity theft, cyber defamation, cyberbullying, email spoofing and child soliciting and abuse (Haque, 2016). They are being assaulted and debilitated to lose either protection or cash, sometimes they overcome the situation and sometimes they just fade away with the incident and lead a very disturbed life.

Cyberbullying is not a new thing for Bangladesh, but this time this time it is a very serious issue. A recent internet study conducted by Telenor Group has found out that students are being bullied or disturbed online and being bullied by the same person both online and offline. The number of people being bullied is just astonishing; the study shows that 49% school students are the victims of cyberbullying (Telenor Group, 2016). The further information provided by the study is very serious and gloomy. Bangladesh is one of fastest growing IT using nations, where 47% of the country's developing on the web culture has confronted some type of digital harassments (Grameen Phone, 2017). And this things are getting very bad as 60% people are feeling shy to consult with their parents or share with closer ones (Grameen Phone, 2017).

State Minister for Post and Telecommunications Tarana Halim has said that, 73 percent women who use the internet in Bangladesh are subject to cyber-bullying or another form of cyber-crime. She also added that, Though 73 percent of the suffered from criminal activities on the internet by 23 percent of them do not make any complaint. According to IT specialist Mr. K.M. Nafiul Haque, Lecturer, BRAC University, Cyberbullying is pretty serious issue in Bangladesh; people are using different platforms and insulting each other randomly. He added that it is happening because the zone of tolerance of the people is very low; they are divided by their education, income and political view. Mr. Haque further added that there are several options to avoid cyberbullying such as blocking, unfollow, junk the unwanted emails and act to prevent cyberbullying, but these are not helping as there are lackings of orientation and purpose of the technology, empathy, acceptance and willingness of respecting others' opinions. He suggested that to overcome cyberbullying there should be well brought up by the family and school, IT orientation should be included in the education level and social culture should be developed very well.

Lawmakers in Bangladesh are well aware of the misuse of the technology and they have made law to prevent cyber-crime. Law Minister Anisul Huq told that Cyber-crimes will be the most significant offence in the coming days. The cyber law was first presented in 2006. A 2013 correction made a few updates to the law, among which was an expansion of the greatest discipline for specific offenses and make them non-bailable. The offenses (cyber-crimes) are non-bailable and convey a minimum punishment of seven years (with a most extreme of 14 years) and a maximum fine of up to Tk 10 million. The Information and Communication (ICT) division of the administration has begun a helpline to get whines about any of such assault in social media in 2015.

The helpline number is-01766678888. The helpline is open for day in and day out and will get all kind of gripes and inquiry about social media bullying. State Minister for ICT, Junaid Ahmed Palak said that, If anyone faces problem in social media or want to lodge complain against anyone, then he can do it in this helpline. He added that, I call this crime because if someone tries to attack other through bad comments or threat in the social media, then this falls under the category of crime. The ICT Minister further said that, This has to stop the cyberbullying. He also mentioned the rise of these kinds of incidents by saying, Cyber Crime is real and it is happening. If we don't take measures, it will only increase Not only the general people but also the celebrities are also being bullied online. We all know about the incident when the cricketer Mohammad Nasir put a picture with his sister and people started bullying them, even they used slangs. As a result, Nasir had to remove the picture. Then, the worldwide recognized number one all-rounder in all three formats of cricket Sakib Al Hasan, he is being very often bullied when he put any picture with his family.