Legal definitions
Laws in Bangladesh have a variety of definitions for the terms “minor,” “child” and “adolescent.” Under the Majority Act, the age of majority differs between individuals who are wards of the Court and reach majority at 21 years old, and all other individuals, who reach the age of majority at 18 years old. However, “minor” under the Christian Marriage Act refers to a non-widow/widower under 21 years old. while the Child Marriage Restraint Act defines a “minor” as a female under 18 years old or a male under 21 years old (these ages are only relevant to marriage).
“Child” is generally defined as a person under 18 years old. There is no defined age of consent for sexual activity for males. The age of consent for females recently has been updated to 16 years old, regardless of marital status.
Child sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse are comprehensively defined. Sexually explicit conduct, child pornography/CSAM, and sextortion are not explicitly defined, but related provisions exist in Bangladeshi law.
Regulatory requirements/recommendations
Online platforms are not explicitly required under existing legislation or regulations to review, report, or remove CSAM or other child sexual exploitation content from their services. A variety of general data protection practices are in place.
Age verification requirements/recommendations
Online platforms are not required to implement age verification methods in Bangladesh.
Parental consent requirements/recommendations
Online platforms are not required to obtain parental consent before a child uses their services.
Legal remedies for child victims
Injunctive relief is theoretically available, but the relevant law has never been used for child sexual exploitation crimes. The Supreme Court can order the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to remove online content if petitioned, or the BTRC may direct service providers to block content, but these actions are not specific to CSAM victims. There are no other legal remedies.
"Safety by Design" requirements
Online platforms are not required to incorporate “Safety by Design” into their systems.