New Delhi, Oct. 27 -- In the wake of recent political changes in Bangladesh, religious conservatism has increasingly asserted its influence over public life. For years, many conservative voices remained quiet, but now there is a surge of activism calling for the "Islamization" of social norms. Much of this activity focuses on women's clothing and mobility. These campaigns are largely citizen-driven rather than enforced through government policy or judicial intervention. A small but vocal segment has leveraged societal influence, focusing primarily on policing women's public behavior as a measure of moral authority.

Yet, behind this public conservatism, digital platforms reveal a starkly different reality. Alongside the rise of Islamist a...