The government has warned of strict legal action against individuals who record or circulate videos of others without consent on social media, stating that such offences will be tried swiftly under the newly enacted Cyber Security Act, 2026.

Responding to a written question in parliament on Tuesday (April 21), Posts, Telecommunications and ICT Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam said investigations into such allegations must be completed within a maximum of 90 days to ensure expedited trial proceedings.

During the Question and Answer Session of the Jatiya Sangsad, the issue was raised by ruling party lawmaker Rafiqul Islam Hilali, who pointed to a growing trend where individuals, identifying themselves as “content creators”, secretly film people and publish the footage online with sensational headlines. In some cases, victims are allegedly threatened and coerced into paying money using such videos.

In a related response during the same parliamentary session, the Home Minister also addressed a written question from Rafiqul Islam Hilali, MP for Netrokona-3, reinforcing the government’s stance on tackling such cyber offences and ensuring legal accountability.

The minister said Section 25(1) of the new law criminalises publishing or threatening to publish any content for purposes such as blackmail, sexual harassment, revenge porn, or sextortion.

Under Section 25(2), offenders may face up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine of Tk 10 lakh, or both. If the victim is a woman or a minor, the penalty increases to a maximum of five years in jail or a fine of Tk 20 lakh.

He added that using such videos to demand money would be treated as cyber fraud under Section 22, carrying a penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of Tk 50 lakh.

According to the minister, the director general of the National Cyber Security Agency will have the authority to order the removal or blocking of harmful content, with the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission required to act immediately. In urgent cases, law enforcers may conduct searches and arrests without a warrant.

To strengthen enforcement, the government plans to deploy advanced technologies to detect harmful content in real time and establish internationally standard digital forensic labs to quickly trace the origin of such videos.

He also said offenders operating from abroad would be brought under the law through international cooperation mechanisms.