As part of the 16 Days of Activism relating to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which began on November 25, The Daily Star Sports turns the spotlight on the digital ordeals faced by women in Bangladeshi sports. Women's cricket team allrounder Rumana Ahmed and shooter Kamrun Nahar Koly share how trolling, blackmail, body shaming and targeted harassment affect their confidence, careers and personal safety -- exposing persistent gaps in protection and reporting mechanisms.
When athletes must worry more about online attacks than their on-field performance -- largely due to systemic failures -- it signals a deeper issue, something that has silently been undermining women's sports in the country.
For Rumana Ahmed, online abuse is not background noise; it disrupts focus.
"When negative things appear -- things I haven't even done -- those comments impact my career and performance," she said, adding that abuse spikes whenever form dips. Strangers fabricate reasons behind her form, letting the negativity "take a larger shape" over time.
While she has not seen teammates quit because of abuse, the rising visibility of women's cricket has intensified scrutiny. "Before, girls didn't get much focus. Now that the spotlight is here, bad comments are also increasing," she said.
Most abusers remain anonymous, as Rumana revealed that "many negative comments come from people I don't know."
Despite the emotional toll, reporting rarely leads to action. Rumana said coaches or officials usually advise players to "avoid it" because they cannot control social media. Reporting tools on Facebook or Instagram are seldom used, partly because incidents have not escalated further, but also because athletes doubt whether complaints would help.
Rumana believes stronger legal enforcement and more support from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) are essential. "They are doing it more because nothing happens to them. BCB should take stricter steps; it affects our performance."
Shooter Kamrun Nahar Koly faces a different layer of harassment -- deliberate attempts to unsettle athletes before competitions. "Sometimes it's fake IDs, sometimes people around us. Even colleagues driven by professional jealousy use fake accounts," she said.
She added that harassment often spills beyond social media. "Many times, direct comments in person also disturb you. Something said intentionally to hurt you." With Artificial Intelligence (AI), she feels the threat has grown. Misuse of images, doctored photos and degrading montages circulate easily, which causes major distress and harms their performance, leading to Koly saying that female athletes "always feel unsafe."
Both athletes point to a major gap: they do not clearly know where or how to report digital abuse. Koly recalls hearing about Police Cyber Support for Women (PCSW) but says athletes lack guidance. Even when complaints are made, especially involving senior or influential individuals, she says they are often "covered up" without justice.
Her message to younger athletes reflects the overall reality. "Laws exist, but applying them is hard. So we must protect ourselves -- limit posting, reduce social media involvement, be careful."
But when athletes are told to "limit posting" or "avoid" social media, it ultimately gives perpetrators more space to operate.
The experiences of Rumana and Koly reveal a troubling pattern: female athletes navigate digital abuse largely alone, with unclear reporting pathways, limited institutional backing and perpetrators acting without consequence. As women's sports gain visibility, systems that safeguard athletes must strengthen accordingly.
