More than 75 percent of married Bangladeshi women experience violence from partners at least once in their lifetime, a national survey published on Monday revealed.
“This report must mark the beginning of transformative action to prevent violence, strengthen services, and ensure justice for survivors,” said Catherine Breen Kamkong from the UN Population Fund, UNFPA.
Younger women, aged 15-19 years, and women from urban slums and disaster-prone coastal regions such as Barisal and Khulna experienced even higher rates, exceeding 80 percent, the survey added.
The survey, conducted by Bangladesh’s Bureau of Statistics and backed by UNFPA, interviewed more than 27,000 women nationwide, documenting cases of physical, sexual, and economic violence, as well as controlling behaviors.
Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, chief of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, stated that the survey provides “robust evidence on the prevalence, causes, and impact of violence,” emphasizing its “critical importance for policy response.”
The Violence Against Women survey is the third since 2011 and found a slight decline, with 83 percent of women questioned reporting violence in 2015.
Bangladesh has been in political turmoil since an August 2024 uprising overthrew the hardline government of Sheikh Hasina.
The Muslim-majority nation of 170 million people will hold elections in February 2026, marking the first polls since the mass uprising.
Bangladesh’s leading women’s rights group has previously reported a dramatic surge in rape cases, attributing it to worsening security.
Fauzia Moslem, president of the Bangladesh Mohila Parishad group, stated in August that the number of sexual assaults in the first six months of 2025 nearly equaled the total for all of last year — a period that also included the deadly protests.
