Noboprobhaat Foundation prepared this submission to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in response to the call for inputs on the protection of human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders, in the digital age, under Human Rights Council Resolution 58/23.

Grounded in community-based observations and evidence from Bangladesh, this submission highlights the growing digital risks faced by human rights defenders, journalists, civil society actors, women defenders, and SOGIESC defenders. It examines how broad cybercrime laws, internet shutdowns, surveillance practices, data privacy failures, online harassment, doxxing, and inadequate platform moderation continue to restrict freedom of expression, association, privacy, and civic participation.

The submission places particular attention on the compounded risks faced by women human rights defenders and SOGIESC defenders, including technology-facilitated violence, online threats, blackmail, identity exposure, and online-to-offline escalation of harm. It also addresses the role of technology companies in preventing abuse, improving Bangla-language content moderation, and strengthening protection mechanisms for at-risk defenders.

Noboprobhaat Foundation offers practical recommendations to the Government of Bangladesh, technology companies, UN agencies, and development partners to ensure that digital technologies protect, rather than endanger, those who defend human rights.

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