Remember ghush.site? The website was created as a platform where people could report their experiences of being asked for bribes while seeking government services. Without revealing their identities, citizens could share details of which government office had demanded a bribe, for what service and how much money was involved.
But the founders' aim went beyond collecting complaints. They wanted to bring together experiences from different parts of the country to help ordinary citizens recognise patterns and trends in bribery.
A similar initiative has emerged to challenge obscene and degrading comments about women on social media. Members of a Facebook group called 'No More Silence' are attempting to bring abusive behaviour, often concealed behind the anonymity of comment sections, into the open.
By publishing screenshots of such comments, they aim to hold those responsible publicly accountable.
Whenever a news story about a woman appears on social media, the comments sections are often filled with distasteful remarks. Some mock a woman's clothing, others make vulgar insinuations about her personal life, while some blame and insult her for an incident. Some commenters conceal their identities, while others make such remarks using their real names and publicly visible profiles.
Their profiles may contain details about their families, friends and professional lives, all accessible to the public. Yet when someone who appears perfectly respectable in their everyday life uses a comment section to insult and demean a woman, a question arises: Will they ever be held accountable for their behaviour?
It was this question that prompted the launch of 'No More Silence', an initiative against obscene and degrading comments about women on social media. The group publishes screenshots of offensive comments, along with the commenters' photographs, identifying information and Facebook profile links.
Its posts reach thousands of people. In less than a year, the initiative has attracted a following of more than 30,000 people. But the journey has brought not only support and success stories, but also threats, pressure and offers of money in exchange for removing posts.
The group was founded by Abir Ahmed Piyas, a writer and online activist. He frequently came across people's reactions to news stories about women on social media. Comments beneath posts about women, actresses and other widely discussed incidents, in particular, gave him pause. He noticed that while people often discussed the news itself, there was rarely much public objection to the insulting remarks directed at women in the comment sections.
Abir began to question whether someone who insulted a woman online could simply walk away without facing any consequences. That question eventually led to the creation of the group.
From personal protest to a Facebook group
Abir said he first began posting about such comments on his personal Facebook profile in November last year. After several posts received a positive response, friends and followers suggested he create a separate group. That suggestion eventually led to the formation of 'No More Silence'.
The group's primary purpose is to bring public attention to obscene, degrading and harassing comments directed at women. It uses screenshots of the comments and links to the original posts to highlight the abuse. Information from commenters' publicly accessible profiles is sometimes included as well.
For Abir, however, the aim is not simply to expose an offensive comment. He also wants the people who know the commenter to become aware of their online behaviour. He hopes people will recognise that the way someone behaves online is part of who they are, just as their conduct within their family, friendships and wider social circles forms part of their identity.
Abir recalled an incident from late last year. A concert was organised at Jalal Stadium in Habiganj to mark the silver jubilee of the Management Department at Brindaban Government College in Habiganj. Disorder broke out at one point during the event. News reports subsequently emerged that women attending the concert had faced sexual harassment and abuse.
In the comments beneath one report, a man described touching several women in a way that suggested he considered it amusing or even something to be proud of.
Whenever a news story about a woman appears on social media, the comments sections are often filled with distasteful remarks. Some mock a woman's clothing, others make vulgar insinuations about her personal life, while some blame and insult her for an incident. Some commenters conceal their identities, while others make such remarks using their real names and publicly visible profiles.
Abir and his team published a post containing a screenshot of the comment and information from the man's publicly accessible profile. The post quickly spread across social media.
"The post went so viral that it caught the attention of the local police. They immediately detained the young man and took him to the police station," Abir said.
According to Abir, the man later published a Facebook post expressing remorse for his behaviour. The post also included a document in which he pledged not to engage in such behaviour again. 'No More Silence' shared that post as well.
Abir considers the incident a significant moment in the initiative's journey. He believes people need to understand that comments made online can have consequences in the real world.
When complaints reach the workplace
Recalling another incident, Abir spoke about a report on a fire aboard a sleeper bus and the rescue of its passengers. According to him, several people posted obscene comments beneath the news report. One commenter made derogatory remarks about the clothing worn by the female passengers.
When the group published the comment, a user suggested notifying the commenter's employer.
Abir said he emailed the employer screenshots of the comment and other relevant information. Two days later, the organisation's human resources department informed him that it was looking into the complaint.
The incident proved significant to Abir for another reason. It prompted the group to consider a further course of action: when relevant, publicly available information about a commenter's workplace could be found, the group could submit a documented complaint to the organisation concerned.
Offers and threats to remove posts
More recently, several people posted deeply offensive comments beneath reports about the killing of Tajmin. One commenter referred to the young woman's personal life and movements in remarks that turned her death into a source of amusement. Several others in the same comment thread expressed support for similar remarks and added their own offensive comments.
'No More Silence' published a post highlighting the comments. After it spread widely, one of the people concerned contacted Abir, he said.
According to Abir, the individual sent him voice messages asking to meet and offered him money in exchange for taking down the post. When Abir rejected the offer, the individual repeatedly called him to arrange a meeting.
Abir also spoke about another person identified in the same post, who he said was a teacher. After the post was published, the individual deleted his account. A friend of that person later threatened to take action if the post was not removed, Abir said.
The group has also faced threats that one of its members would be abducted. Abir himself has been threatened on several occasions.
Asked why he continued the work despite such pressure, Abir said, "Our posts reach the people who know those making offensive comments. Someone in their family, among their friends or in their wider social circle then learns about their online behaviour. Once people see what they are really like, they can at least be more cautious around them. That is what we wanted."
Abir also said the group plans to develop an Android app once its membership reaches 100,000.
He envisions a system through which users could search for a person by name or photograph and find any comments or related information about them that the group has published. This, he believes, would allow people to learn more about the online behaviour of those around them.
According to Abir, the information could also be useful in situations such as job interviews or when meeting someone new.