A multi-stakeholder consultation titled “Digital and Civic Space in Bangladesh: Current Challenges and Policy Directions” was held on 22 December 2025 at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital. The consultation convened a diverse group of participants, including representatives from civil society organisations, rights activists, media professionals, women and youth leaders, legal experts, and academics. The gathering marked an important collective effort to assess the state of digital and civic space in Bangladesh and to identify coordinated policy responses.
Participants strongly condemned the assassination of Sharif Osman Hadi, describing it as a grave example of the violent suppression of dissenting and alternative voices. Speakers also expressed deep concern over subsequent mob violence reportedly incited by online disinformation campaigns. These incidents targeted prominent newspapers such as Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, resulting in attacks on their offices and harassment of journalists. Women journalists and public intellectuals, including Nurul Kabir, were subjected to intimidation and physical assault. Cultural institutions were also vandalized, underscoring what participants described as retaliatory attempts to silence independent and progressive platforms.
The consultation provided a vital forum for reflection on the rapidly shrinking digital and civic space in the country. Discussions focused on critical challenges such as online gender-based disinformation, civic suppression, mob violence, the rise of fundamentalist rhetoric, restrictions on press freedom, and persistent attacks against journalists. Participants shared field-level experiences and outlined practical recommendations aimed at protecting democratic engagement and safeguarding fundamental rights. In the keynote presentation, Musharrat Mahera, Deputy Director (Programmes) at VOICE, emphasized the need to understand digital and civic rights as interconnected and shaped by laws, policies, institutions, and social norms. She highlighted the growing prevalence of targeted propaganda campaigns against women on social media, often referred to as gender disinformation, which fuel division, incite hatred, and destabilize social harmony. She called for inclusive and peaceful political participation as a necessary step toward countering these harmful trends.
The panel discussion brought together voices from sociocultural, political, and development sectors. Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, columnist and activist, underscored the responsibility of citizens to resist human rights violations both online and offline. He stressed that meaningful resistance requires courage and persistence in the face of mounting challenges.
Abul Hasan Rubel, Executive Coordinator of Ganosanhati Andolon, reflected on the troubling normalization of violence against women in the aftermath of mass political unrest. He warned that the rhetoric of inclusion is increasingly being manipulated to legitimize exclusionary and discriminatory practices.
Media personality Dipty Chowdhury reaffirmed the principle that freedom of expression must coexist with the protection of others’ rights, noting that it is the state’s obligation to intervene when violations occur. Human rights activist and policy analyst Monjur Rashid emphasized the centrality of civil rights in a functioning democracy, arguing that transformative change becomes possible when citizens assert their rights from their respective positions.
Online disinformation specialist Tamara Yesmin Toma observed that while misinformation affects all genders, narratives targeting women spread more rapidly and generate disproportionate harm. She urged law enforcement agencies to take proactive and evidence-based action to hold perpetrators accountable and reinforce the rule of law. Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, Executive Director of VOICE, reiterated the organisation’s enduring commitment to defending digital freedoms, media rights, and the safety of frontline human rights defenders. He emphasized that collective solidarity is essential in countering digital repression and ensuring transparent, accountable, and rights-based governance.
Overall, the consultation highlighted the urgent need for inclusive digital policies, greater transparency in governance, strengthened media and information literacy, and targeted protection mechanisms for women, journalists, Indigenous activists, and marginalized communities. Participants concluded that safeguarding digital and civic space requires sustained collaboration among state institutions, civil society, and the media to ensure a democratic and rights-respecting environment for all.