Cyber Crime in Bangladesh

>Introduction

 New communication system and digital technology have made dramatic changes in the way we live. In the last decade the Internet has achieved considerable expansion. In today’s world, international borders don’t bind this kind of crime, which exploits the technological situation of the global market.

In Bangladesh the rate of internet user is increasing rapidly. Cyber crimes are gradually increasing in the country but Bangladesh has no mechanism yet to combat this thing. Cyber crime encompasses any criminal act dealing with computers and networks. It also includes traditional crimes conducted through the Internet. 

A growing number of states have introduced or are in the process of introducing new legislation on cyber crime offenses but in Bangladesh we still do not found any positive attempt of the government to enacting cyber law in our country. Though Bangladesh is a poor country but now a day because of mobile phone internet service Internet is now becoming available to almost all the districts of our country. People started to know what is internet and what cyber world is.

At present we have so many cyber cafes in our country. The young generations are badly addicted to internet and computer. They love to spend lots of time on computer. This is very crucial period for our country. The Financial express on 10 January 2008 publish one report stating that with an inactive cyber law and a severe lack of the expertise necessary to detect cyber crime Bangladesh has become a safe haven for anyone committing a computer crime.

According to Net craft, a UK company that is doing research and analysis on internet applications – Bangladesh has been identified as one of the top ten hosts for phasing sites for hosting fake websites or sending fake emails to obtain confidential information.

The internet has become a very important part of our lives. Bangladesh has a growing information technology sector. With the rise of modern technology Bangladesh like every other nation trying to go on with the increasing speed, that is why there is a need for specific laws to control cyber crimes.

Also there is an urgent need to develop a cyber crime legislation that will protect cyber security in Bangladesh.

Internet And Cyber Crime

The Internet is an interactive medium based on a decentralized network of computers. One portion of the Internet is known as the World Wide Web. The Internet may also be used to engage in other activities such as sending and receiving emails, trading files, exchanging instant messages, chatting online, streaming audio and video, and making voice calls.

Cyber crime can broadly be defined as a criminal activity involving an information technology infrastructure, including illegal access (unauthorized access), illegal interception (by technical means of non-public transmissions of computer data to, from or within a computer system), data interference (unauthorized damaging, deletion, deterioration, alteration or suppression of computer data), systems interference (interfering with the functioning of a computer system by inputting, transmitting, damaging, deleting, deteriorating, altering or suppressing computer data), misuse of devices, forgery (theft), and electronic fraud. This includes anything from downloading illegal music files to stealing millions of dollars from online bank accounts. Cyber crime also includes non-monetary offenses, such as creating and distributing viruses on other computers or posting confidential business information on the Internet. 

Different types of cyber crime

Cyber crimes can be basically divided into 3 major categories:

1. Cyber crimes against persons. 
2. Cyber crimes against property. 
3. Cyber crimes against government. 

Cyber crimes committed against persons include various crimes like transmission of Child-pornography, harassment of any one with the use of a computer such as e-mail. The second category of Cyber-crimes is crimes against all forms of property. These crimes include computer vandalism (destruction of others’ property), transmission of harmful program.

The third category of Cyber-crimes relate to Cyber crimes against Government. Cyber terrorism is one distinct kind of crime in this category. 

Present situation of Bangladesh

Development of Science and ICT depends on the expansion of telecommunication sector. This sector is still under developed due to lack of deregulation and open competition. The impact of cyber crime is not alarming Bangladesh because financial transactions have not yet been fully facilitated in online.

As soon as financial transactions are allowed online computer crimes will increase at an unprecedented rate unless the Government acquires the tools and infrastructure to prevent, detect and prosecute them. But our government still not aware of the fact. Internet services provided through the local area network are vulnerable to similar attacks and intrusions by hackers more often when the security level is inadequate. Now a day in Bangladesh some people send malicious mail to different foreign diplomatic Mission and other VIPs which sometimes cause serious problem for the police and also for the government. Some people use internet for transmitting false and malicious information.

Some of them use internet for women and child trafficking. 

Pornography is another dangerous business weapon of the cyber criminals. But In spite of this the Government of Bangladesh is not alert. Cyber crime in Bangladesh: Life is about a mix of good and evil.

So is the Internet. For all the good it does us, Cyber space has its dark sides too. Unlike conventional communities though, there are no police men patrolling the information superhighway, leaving it open to everything from Trojan horses and viruses to cyber stalking, trademark counterfeiting and cyber terrorism. Few months earlier one group of people hack the web site of Rapid – action – battalion in Bangladesh. When this incident was published in the media all most all the institution of the government became scared.

No body wants to believe it. After that RAB arrested some people and they are now in jail.

One of the main RAB website hackers, Shahee Mirza, said that nobody should use his acquired computer skills in such criminal activities like hacking of important Government or private websites. After listening his statement lot of expert who are dealing with cyber crimes in Bangladesh become scared. 

Bangladesh war crimes tribunal chief quits over Skype scandal. The head of a Bangladeshi tribunal which has been dealing with crimes committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan resigned yesterday amid controversy over the leak of his Skype conversation with an expatriate Bangladeshi legal expert. International Crimes Tribunal-1 chairman Justice Md Nizamul Huq mentioned personal reasons for his resignation, State Minister for Law and Justice Quamrul Islam told The Daily Star yesterday evening.

His resignation would not hamper the proceedings at the tribunal set up in 2010 to try the cases over crimes against humanity, said sources concerned. Although the 2006 Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Act covers many of the legal aspects to prosecute cyber crime, but it has not been effectively implemented since its ratification. 

According to the expert opinion the main reason for the law’s Ineffectiveness, is the lack of legal support and social and public awareness about Computer crimes. Cyber crime analysts point out that although pornography is not considered illegal across the world, but in Bangladesh it is one of the predominant computer crimes. There is already evidence of the existence of illegally hosted pornographic websites with local content.

In Bangladesh, Nowadays youths are increasingly using cyber cafes as their dating places. According to newspaper reports, various types of antisocial activities take place in these cafes in the name of net browsing. For Internet browsing, there are separate cabins for pairs where their intimate moments are videoed secretly. These pictures are later made available on the Internet. According to section 57 of the ICT Act 2006, a person convicted for uploading vulgar and obscene contents on website is punishable to a 10-year imprisonment and a fine of Tk one crore.

But no one care it because in our country we still do not have any effective cyber tribunal to deal with this problem. That is why it is very easy for the cyber criminals in Bangladesh to get rid of punishment. 

Recommendations

The Aim of my research is to suggest the government to enact cyber law in our country to prevent cyber criminals from committing cyber crime in Bangladesh. My suggestion to Government is please establish one digital forensic laboratory in our country for investigation and detection of cyber crime. At present all most all the leading private banks of our country already started online banking.

This online banking is based on Internet and computer. So it is the duty of the government to provide security to all the banks. In 2008 some terrorist attack Mumbai. More than two hundred people died in that attack. From newspaper it has been found that terrorist use so many fake email address and also they use some fake web site in order to contact with their leaders.

Through close circuit camera it has been seen that few terrorist bearing their personal Laptop with them. But because of lack of expertise necessary to detect cyber crime Mumbai police failed to prevent it.

They are totally ignore of it that’s why it is become very easy for the terrorist to attack their target.

 Bangladesh is also face same type of attack few years ago. During the year 2004 to 2006 JMB killed so many people in Bangladesh. They also used latest technology.

Now a days terrorist use advance technology in order to commit crime which sometimes become impossible for the police to detect it unless and until they have advance technology in their hand. That’s why I suggest our government to establish one digital forensic laboratory in our country for Investigation and detection of cyber crime. Also there is an urgent need to develop a cyber crime legislation that will protect cyber security in Bangladesh. Cyber police force is also needed in order to detect cyber criminals. Now a days lot of internet expert is available in Bangladesh who have got lot of idea about internet and cyber world.

So it is not a impossible thing to enact cyber law in our country. Just willingness of the government is enough to do this thing.

Bangladesh has been carrying out anti- cyber crime activities from last year providing training for a group of professionals and developing software. There is also a need to have more projects on cyber crime legislation and enforcement capacity building and training courses through out the country.

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