Nearly three in four women in Bangladesh have experienced violence at least once in their lives, according to “Violence Against Women Survey 2024” released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), on Monday (Oct 13) in Dhaka.
The study, described by officials as the country’s largest of its kind, depicts a stark picture of the scale, persistence and underreporting of abuse.
The survey finds that 76 percent of women have suffered physical, sexual, psychological or economic violence by a spouse at some point in their lives, while 49 percent faced such abuse in the past year alone.
Alarmingly, 62 percent of those affected said they never disclosed their experiences. Beyond intimate-partner violence, 15 percent reported post-age-15 physical assaults by non-partners and 2.2 percent reported non-partner sexual violence.
BBS said the questionnaire incorporated UN-defined categories of violence alongside behaviours specific to Bangladesh’s social context. Releasing the report, BBS Director General Mohammad Mizanur Rahman called it the most extensive national survey to date, saying it provides robust evidence on prevalence, impact and trends to guide future policy.
He added that BBS will strengthen its capacity to collect data related to violence.
While there has been limited progress since 2015—when the share of women reporting spousal violence stood at 66 percent versus 49 percent in 2024—the findings indicate the toll remains severe. More than half of women (54 percent) have experienced physical or sexual violence by a husband in their lifetime; among survivors of sexual violence, 60 percent said incidents recurred multiple times in the past year. Abuse continued during pregnancy, with 7.2 percent reporting physical violence and 5.3 percent reporting sexual violence, a risk flagged as harmful to both mother and child.
The report also highlights non-partner perpetrators—often mothers-in-law and male relatives in physical assaults—and notes that sexual violence more commonly involved acquaintances, including relatives, friends or known men. Technology-facilitated abuse affected 8.3 percent of women, including sexual blackmail, misuse of images and digital surveillance.
Help-seeking remains limited. Only 14.5 percent of survivors sought medical care. Among women abused by a spouse, just 7.4 percent pursued legal action, typically approaching local leaders first; by contrast, 3.8 percent of non-partner survivors sought legal recourse, most often turning to police. Fewer than half of women (48.5 percent) knew where to lodge complaints, and only 12.3 percent were aware of the 109 helpline.
Risk factors identified include dowry demands, a husband’s drug addiction, extramarital relationships and residence in urban slums, while higher levels of a husband’s education were associated with reduced risk.
The launch event named Planning Commission Member (Secretary) Dr Qayum Ara Begum as chief guest, with Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Aleya Akter and Women and Children Affairs Ministry Additional Secretary Shabnam Mustari attending as special guests. UNFPA Bangladesh Representative Catherine Breen Kamkong said the statistics reflect the lived reality of Bangladeshi women and provide a strong foundation for policy. She urged “transformative action” to prevent violence, support survivors and ensure justice.
A panel discussion featured Women’s Affairs Reform Commission Chair Shireen Huq, SPBn DIG Dr Shoeb Riaz Alam and Professor Dr Sanjida Akhter of Dhaka University’s Department of Women and Gender Studies.
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