Speakers during a webinar on Friday stressed the need for a significant rise in cybersecurity enforcement capacity to ensure a virtual secure place for all.
They urged the authorities concerned to make citizens aware of virtual behaviour, cybercrime, and dos and don'ts in the cyber world so that they can protect themselves from would-be crime.
The speakers said women are mostly victims of cybercrime and cyberbullying, and they do not have a comfortable platform to report crimes for no cyber policing in place in Bangladesh.
They made the observations during a virtual discussion styled 'Cybersecurity, policy and law-enforcement'.
The Bangladesh Open Source Network (BdOSN) hosted the session as part of a series of virtual discussions titled 'Online Ada Lovelace Celebration 2021'.
Addressing the session, Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority managing director Hosne Ara Begum said women should be brave while using the internet.
The government has formed the Digital Security Agency to fight cybercrimes and bullying, she added.
Ms Begum said the agency is recruiting experts countrywide to create awareness of internet use.
Syed Nasrullah, senior assistant commissioner of Cybersecurity and Crime Division at Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said women fall victim to cyber attacks mostly.
But statistics say they do not come to police stations or authorities concerned to seek protection, he added.
Admitting manpower shortages to fight cybercrime, Mr Nasrullah said the government is setting up cyber help desk at every police station and appointing policewomen at the desks to fight cybercrime.
He recognised the need for research on the issues and share data and statistics with other bodies to find solutions to cybercrime.
The police and the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) will help bring rural police stations under internet connectivity.
Mr Nasrullah said they sought to increase the number of cyber tribunals to deal with cybercrime even at divisional headquarters.
Bangladesh Computer Samity president Shahid-Ul-Munir said Bangladesh has entered internet highway, but there is not enough and efficient policing on highways.
He suggested a coordinated approach to fight cyberbullying and cybercrime.
Mr Munir said his association would work to create awareness of online crimes across the country.
ISPAB president Aminul Hakim said they are going to form cells countrywide so that anyone can share issues related to internet security.
The ISPAB members need to create awareness as they give new connections, he observed.
Mr Hakim said ISPAB members have an estimated 12-million internet clients. They sometimes receive complaints of cybercrimes.
The ISPAB and the police need to have proper communications on the issue, he said, adding that the ISPAB will help create a database of such crimes.
BdOSN general secretary Munir Hasan moderated Friday's event.
The Online Ada Lovelace Celebration 2021 is an initiative to celebrate women in computing from January 29 to January 30.
It focuses on the largest gathering of women researchers, tech industry experts, service-holders, policymakers, entrepreneurs and female students countrywide as an unforgettable experience.
