1971

1971
War of independence from Pakistan.
Bangladeshi authorities claim as many as 3
million deaths.
1975
Sheik Mujibur Rahman, founding president
of Bangladesh, and most of his family are
assassinated in a military coup. 1976
The indigenous, mostly Buddhist Jumma
of the Chittagong Hill Tracts launch armed
struggle against Bengali settlers and
1981 security forces.
Former president Ziaur Rahman, of the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is
assassinated in a military coup.
1991
End of military dictatorship and return to
parliamentary democracy.
1997
Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord is
signed, but violence and Bengali settlement
continue. There are 280,000 internally
displaced people in CHT by January 2015.
2001
Postelection violence forces nearly 200,000
Hindus to flee or emigrate to India.
2004
Islamist group Huji-B attacks Awami
League (AL) rally, killing 24 and injuring 2001
200, including former prime minister Catholic church bombing kills nine and
Sheikh Hasina. injures 20. Religious minorities are
increasingly targeted by violent Islamist
groups.

2007
Military coup. Over 52,000 are arrested
and 29 killed by law enforcement in the first
month of the ensuing state of emergency. 2013
BNP boycotts tenth parliamentary elections,
leading to armed violence, attacks on
minorities, and hundreds of dead and
2008
injured.
Ninth parliamentary elections, after nearly
two years of military-backed caretaker
government. 2013
Communal attacks on Hindu houses and
shops follow death sentence for Islamist war
2014 criminal.
Islamist party leader Abdul Quader
Mollah executed for crimes during war
2013
of independence. Large-scale protests,
First murders of secular bloggers by Islamic
violence, and bombings ensue.
extremist group Ansarullah Bangla Team.

2015
BNP protest against AL government leads
to violence. At least 112 die, including 40 in
police custody.
2015
Islamic State (IS) affiliate claims credit for
first bombing of a Shiite site in Bangladesh.
2016
AL clamps down on opposition, arresting
thousands of activists and Islamists and
sentencing 15 opposition lawmakers to life
in prison. 2016
Bangladesh

IS affiliate attacks Holey Bakery café in

Dhaka. Twenty-eight die, including 20
2017 hostages.
Parliament passes the Child Marriage
Restraint Act that permits girls under 18 to
be married in special cases.
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24

2017
Bangladesh
At a glance

National civil war Communal/ideological conflict

Absent Medium

National political conflict Local political and electoral conflict

High High

Transnational terrorism Local resource conflict

Medium Medium

Separatism and autonomy Urban crime and violence

Low Low

* Rankings are based on the last 15 years and are relative to other Asian countries.

Overview

Bangladesh has faced rising political violence and terrorist attacks in recent years. The
national parliamentary elections in 2014 highlighted the intense political tension between
the ruling and opposition parties, resulting in over 500 deaths from violent clashes. Op-
position protests and the government’s heavy-handed response further exacerbated the
situation. Political rivalry at the national level also affected the local political landscape
after the government amended the law allowing registered political parties to nominate
candidates in local government elections. Even though local elections had been peaceful
compared to national elections in the past, deadly violence between political opponents
erupted, killing over 140 people between March and June 2016. The polarized political
climate and flawed democratic process appear to be feeding violent Islamist extremism.
Transnational terrorist organizations, such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda, are gaining
ground utilizing local extremist groups. Bangladesh had over 450 terrorist attacks in
2015 alone. In July 2016, Dhaka had one of its deadliest terrorist attacks, which took the
lives of 28 people. Foreigners, secular journalists and bloggers, and religious minorities
Bangladesh

have been the primary targets of terrorist attacks in the country. Against this political
backdrop, communal violence has escalated, and religious minorities continue to be per-
secuted, while the government is unable or unwilling to address the underlying causes.
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25
 Bangladesh

National level

National civil war

There has been no civil war in Bangladesh since its independence from Pakistan in
1971. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, widespread atrocities were committed,
mainly against the Bengali population of East Pakistan. Bangladeshi authorities
claim that as many as 3 million people died, although some independent researchers have esti-
mated a lower toll.1

National political conflict

Political violence is a major feature of the Bangladeshi political landscape. Since the
revival of the parliamentary system in 1991, tensions between the Awami League
(AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have often led to violence.2 The
parties are bitter rivals, and each tries to undermine the other when it is in power. Instead of
debating issues in the parliament, opposition parties take matters to the streets, leading to vio-
lent clashes with supporters of the ruling party. Political violence intensified during the BNP-led
coalition government from 2001 to 2006, taking 2,722 lives. The antigovernment movement led
by the AL was the biggest instigator of violence (figure 1).

The military has also played a large role. The country underwent several coups d’état that
ended in massacres of political leaders and their families, including assassinations of two heads
of state: Sheik Mujibur Rahman (the first president and Prime Minister Sheik Hasina’s father)
in 1975; and Ziaur Rahman (former president and BNP leader Khaleda Zia’s late husband) in
1981. The latest military coup took place in January 2007, when a state of emergency was de-
clared following widespread political unrest prior to the general election. In the first month of
the country’s state of emergency, 29 people were killed by law enforcement agencies, and over
52,000 were arrested,3 including majority party leaders Sheik Hasina and Khaleda Zia and some
of their senior staff. After nearly two years of the military-backed caretaker government, the ninth
national parliamentary elections were held in December 2008.

700
656

600
526
500 504

400 436
420 374

300 251
310
220
197
200 215
169 190
100 79 135
50
0
20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Bangladesh

Figure 1. Fatality estimates from political violence in Bangladesh (2001–2016)

Source: Prepared based on political violence statistics provided by Odhikar4
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26
 Political violence escalated again before, during, and after the tenth national parliamentary
elections, which took place in January 2014. Months of violence left hundreds dead and injured
across the country. Ain o Salish Kendra, a human rights organization based in Dhaka, reported
over 500 deaths in 20135 and 62 deaths in the month of January 2014.6 The violence began with
a disagreement between the AL government and BNP-led opposition groups about the appropri-
ate mechanism for free and fair elections. The BNP and other opposition parties demanded the
reinstatement of the neutral caretaker government system to oversee the elections.7 Calling for
an election boycott, members of the BNP and opposition groups staged blockades and demon-
strations starting in October 2013. In many incidents, opposition groups used petrol bombs and
homemade grenades and set off improvised grenades in busy streets without warning. In some
cases, opposition groups recruited street children to carry out the attacks. Attacks on property
and public transportation scared ordinary citizens, who suffered from a series of national strikes
and blockades. Religious and ethnic minority groups, particularly Hindus, were targets for van-
dalism and intimidation.

Tensions rose further over the trial of Islamist war criminals and debates about whether
political Islam should be granted legal space in the country’s democratic system. In December
2014, the Jamaat-e-Islami party (JI), the most influential Islamic party in Bangladesh, and its
student organization, Islami Chhatra Shibir, staged large-scale protests around the country,
marked by extensive violence including the use of crude bombs, after the execution of a senior
JI leader, Abdul Quader Mollah, for crimes committed during Bangladesh’s independence war
in 1971. Violence surrounding the war crime trials also reflected intense debates over the role of
political Islam in the country. The JI, the biggest ally of the BNP, was disqualified from partici-
pating in the 2014 elections when the High Court ruled that the party’s charter did not conform
to the secular constitution and cancelled its registration with the Election Commission.

On election day, and the days that preceded it, opposition activists targeted electoral officials
and attacked schools and other buildings serving as polling stations. According to Human Rights
Watch, attackers killed three election officials and injured 330 other officials and law enforcement
Bangladesh

agents on election day.8 The Election Commission suspended voting in 597 of 18,000 polling
stations due to violence.9 A total of 553 schools and educational institutions were damaged.10 The
AL won nearly 80 percent of the parliamentary seats. Voter turnout was a record low 40 percent
because of the boycott and violence.
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27
 The AL government responded to the violence by deploying security forces to launch a brutal
crackdown on opposition groups, unlawfully killing dozens of leaders and activists and carrying
out widespread, arbitrary arrests. Human Rights Watch documented the killing of 11 opposition
leaders and activists by security forces before, during, and after the 2014 elections.11 Thousands
of opposition party members and activists were arrested. The impunity enjoyed by Bangladesh’s
law enforcement agencies fueled widespread violations.

Following the 2014 elections, Bangladesh continued to experience political unrest as the
ruling AL resisted calls for fresh elections. Violent clashes and protests against the government
by the BNP and its allies ebbed and flowed. In January 2015, the anniversary of the tenth na-
tional parliamentary elections, large-scale protests demanding that Prime Minister Hasina’s
government step down escalated into a violent standoff between the opposition and government
supporters. At least 36 people were killed. AL ignored the demands of the protestors and branded
BNP a terrorist organization. BNP head Khaleda Zia was confined inside her office and called for
a nationwide blockade. In the first two months of 2015, arsonists attacked nearly 1,200 vehicles,
and at least 112 people died, 40 of whom, mostly opposition activists, were killed while in the
custody of law enforcement agencies.12 The World Bank estimated a net loss of USD 2.2 billion
in the first quarter of 2015 due to the political turmoil.13

The ruling party remained in power by clamping down on opponents. Many opposition party
leaders and members were imprisoned or faced serious charges that could bar them from office.
For instance, 15 BNP and JI lawmakers were given life sentences over their alleged involvement
in the violent protests of 2013, and over 100 BNP members were indicted for their participation
in the 2015 BNP-led blockade.14 In June 2016, Bangladeshi police arrested 2,100 leaders and
activists from the opposition BNP as part of a crackdown on over 11,000 suspected Islamic ex-
tremists for religious violence.15

The bitter political conflict between the AL and the BNP has created space for Islamist parties
such as the JI to expand their power bases. Some analysts believe that Islamists are increasingly
influential due to their better organization and party discipline. Support for them has increased
as people have lost confidence in the current political system due to widespread corruption, dete-
riorating law and order, and a weak judicial system. The AL has continued to execute opposition
leaders for alleged war crimes during the Liberation War of 1971: the general secretary of JI, Ali
Bangladesh

Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, and a top aide to Khaleda Zia, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, were
executed in November 2015. The following year, a senior leader of JI, Mir Quasem Al, was also
executed. Many argue that the rulings have been flawed, with arbitrary limitations on witnesses
and documents and bias in favor of the prosecution.16
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28
 Transnational terrorism
Some violent Islamist groups have come into existence under political patronage,
such as Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen
Bangladesh (JMB). HuJI-B is backed by the Taliban and was officially banned by the
government in 2005. JMB has an extensive network and also follows the Taliban’s ideals. The
government initially cracked down on these groups after a series of terrorist attacks in the mid
2000s. In August 2004, HuJI-B was accused of carrying out a deadly attack at a public rally of
the Awami League that killed 24 people and injured 200.17 The following year, JMB conducted
synchronized explosions in 63 of the 64 districts of the country, targeting government buildings,
major hotels, and Dhaka International Airport, killing two and injuring 50.18 The government
has used force and legal means to combat terrorism, but these groups have continued to exist
even after many of their key leaders have been imprisoned or executed.

According to the 2016 Global Terrorism Index of the Institute for Economics and Peace,
Bangladesh was ranked 22nd out of 163 countries in terrorist activities and attacks in 2015. The
report noted that Bangladesh had 459 terrorist attacks in 2015, which resulted in 75 deaths.19
Even though, historically, terrorism in Bangladesh has been carried out by local groups such as
HuJI-B and JMB, recent terrorist violence has been linked to transnational terrorist groups such
as al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and the Islamic State (IS).20 These transnational
groups are increasing their capabilities in the country by leveraging local terrorist groups. A local
Islamic extremist group, Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT; also known as Ansar al Islam, AI), that
follows AQIS, was responsible for attacks and the murders of secular bloggers from 2013 to 2015.
In 2015 alone, ABT killed five bloggers and seriously injured three.21 These attacks have stoked
public outrage, underscored the problem of rising violent extremism, and shown the government’s
inability to protect individuals at risk. ABT’s links to the student wing of the JI have also been
used to justify the government’s crackdown against its political opponents.

The emergence of the IS in Bangladesh is relatively recent. The group carried out a series of
attacks, targeting foreigners and religious minorities, through the local Islamic organization, JMB,
which pledged its allegiance to the IS. In 2015, the IS claimed to be responsible for murdering
two foreigners and detonating several bombs, one at a main Shiite site, killing one and wound-
ing 80. This was the first time Shiites were targeted in Bangladesh.22 On July 1, 2016, the group
attacked the Holey Artisan Bakery café in Dhaka, resulting in 28 deaths, including 20 hostages
(mostly foreigners), two security forces personnel, and six militants.23 The government denies
the growing presence of IS in the country.

Subnational level

Separatism and autonomy

The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in southeastern Bangladesh have been the site
of an armed conflict between Bangladesh armed forces and the Shanti Bahini, a
military arm of the United People’s Party of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Parbattya
Chattagram Janashonghoti Samity, PCJSS). Between 1976 and 1997, indigenous peoples struggled
violently for greater autonomy in the CHT. The tribal groups of the CHT, collectively known as
the Jumma people, make up around 53 percent of the population in the CHT as estimated by the
national census of 2011.24 They previously had a special status of limited self-government under
British colonial rule. Pakistan withdrew this status and initiated a process of modernization and
Bangladesh

settlement of the area by outsiders, precipitating the political and economic marginalization of
the Jumma. After Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan, tribal leaders demanded greater
autonomy and protection of traditional lands. The government rejected their demands, however,
and adopted a constitution that focused on a distinctive Bengali identity, language, and culture.
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29
 Dhaka

CHITTAGONG
HILL TRACTS

In addition, the government started a program to send Bengali settlers to the CHT. In response,
indigenous peoples formed the PCJSS to unite the different tribal groups of the CHT and created
the Shanti Bahini as their military arm.

The magnitude of the conflict is difficult to determine. Uppsala University’s Conflict Data
Program estimates between 502 and 574 people were killed during the insurgency.25 Of those,
about 230 were civilians, primarily Bengali settlers, killed by the Shanti Bahini. The United Na-
tions and human rights organizations have reported widespread and systematic human rights
violations, primarily perpetrated by Bangladesh security forces, including unlawful killings, de-
tention without trial, torture, rape, destruction of houses and property, and forcible occupation of
traditional lands.26 During the conflict, approximately 70,000 Jumma fled to India, and around
100,000 were internally displaced.27 Large areas of traditional land vacated by the Jumma have
been occupied by Bengali settlers who were encouraged by the government to migrate to the
Bangladesh

CHT under army protection as part of a counterinsurgency strategy.

The AL-led government and the PCJSS signed the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in
1997, granting limited autonomy to the elected council of the three hill districts. The Accord
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30
promised reforms to promote autonomy and the cultural, economic, social, civil, and political
rights of Jumma people. In addition, it promised the removal of all temporary army camps in the
CHT and was to give administrative responsibility in a range of areas—including land manage-
ment—to the three Hill District councils. Jumma refugees returning from India, and internally
displaced people who had fled to other parts of Bangladesh or to deep forests in the CHT, were
to be rehabilitated through the provision of land, housing, and rations. A land commission was
promised to investigate and resolve land disputes.

Since the Peace Accord, tensions over land rights between the Jumma people and Bengali
settlers have grown, as Bengali settlers continue to flow into the CHT, leading to an ongoing cy-
cle of violence. The media frequently reports clashes in which Jumma and Bengali settlers have
been killed and injured and homes destroyed. For example, Amnesty International reports that
in February 2010, a Jumma villager in the Sajek area was killed when Bengali settlers attacked
Jumma people and burned their houses following a protest against Bengali settlers building huts
next to Jumma settlements.28 On December 16, 2014, the 43rd anniversary of Bangladesh’s inde-
pendence, a Buddhist temple was vandalized, and more than 50 indigenous homes were burned
down.29 Ongoing violence has displaced both Jumma and Bengali settlers, and has prevented
them from returning to their homes. As of January 2015, the Internal Displacement Monitoring
Centre (IDMC) estimates that there were 280,000 displaced people in the southeastern CHT.30

The government has not fully implemented the terms of the Peace Accord, such as removing
all temporary military camps in the CHT and resolving land disputes caused by the transmigra-
tion program. Due to ongoing violence between Jumma and Bengali settlers, the Bangladesh
government continues to maintain a heavy military presence to preserve law and order in the
CHT. Jumma view the lack of action as government support for Bengali settlers and the continued
invasion of their traditional land. The government agreed to amend the CHT Land Dispute Reso-
lution Commission Act 2001 in July 2013. The amendment distributes decision-making authority
among members of the commission instead of placing it solely in the hands of the chairman. It
also gives indigenous people priority in the recruitment of staff for the land commission. In Au-
gust 2016, the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act 2016 was finally approved by the
cabinet to amend the 2001 Act. Due to the prolonged amendment process, the CHT Land Dispute
Resolution Commission has been dysfunctional and has failed to resolve any land disputes since
its establishment.31 A government task force established under the Peace Accord estimates that
over 90,000 Jumma families remain without access to their traditional land.32

Violence against indigenous women committed by settlers and the military is also widespread
in the CHT, even though cases are often not reported. Kapaeeng Foundation, a local human
rights organization working on indigenous issues in Bangladesh, reported that 290 women and
girls from the CHT were victims of gender-based violence between 2007 and 2014.33 The Home
Ministry reported that not a single perpetrator was convicted, even though 215 cases of violence
against women were recorded between January 2010 and December 2011.34 This illustrates the
high level of impunity for sexual and gender-based violence against indigenous women and girls
in the CHT.

Large-scale communal and ideological conflicts

Religious and ethnic minorities in the country suffer from frequent threats, assaults,
torture, and displacement. While the marginalization of and discrimination against
religious minorities goes back to colonialism and the legacy of Partition, violence
Bangladesh

against them has escalated due to recent political developments and the rise of violent Islamist
organizations.35 Attacks against religious minorities often lead to injuries and involve grabbing
and looting of properties and places of worship. Deaths were previously rare: only six fatalities
were recorded by Odhikar between 2007 and 2015 (table 1).36
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31
 Table 1. Repression against religious minorities in Bangladesh (2007–2015)

Grabbing Attack

Idols damaged

Miscellaneous
Assaulted
Year

Abducted

Property
Arrested
Injured

Temple

Looted
House
Killed

Land

Rape
2015 0 102 0 0 0 2 14 21 17 121 0 1 0
2014 1 78 2 0 0 14 0 371 32 193 1 0 0
2013 0 118 0 0 0 4 0 441 125 322 2 13 1
2012 0 69 2 0 0 0 1 81 46 0 24 0 1
2011 0 107 2 0 0 6 2 21 25 0 13 4 3
2010 2 244 0 0 0 9 1 20 23 0 4 6 6
2009 1 502 5 0 1 12 4 5 28 0 4 6 5
2008 1 90 1 0 0 7 0 2 24 0 6 0 0
2007 1 91 4 2 6 7 5 4 14 0 0 0 0
Total 6 1,401 16 2 7 61 27 966 334 636 54 30 16

Source: Odhikar37

Major political events, such as national elections, have often provoked communal violence.
Hindus are often threatened and attacked, because the opposition sees them as the electoral base
of the AL. Postelection violence in 2001 forced almost 200,000 Hindus to flee to safer areas or
migrate to India.38 Leading up to and following the 2014 elections, many Hindu homes, busi-
nesses, and temples were vandalized, looted, and burned down. In addition, Hindus have been
targeted in connection with the trial and execution of Islamist war criminals. For instance, the
death sentence judgment of Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, the former politician of the JI, triggered
widespread violence across the country in 2013. Amnesty International reports that at least 300
Hindu homes and shops and more than 60 Hindu temples were damaged or destroyed between
February and April 2013.39

Other religious and ethnic minority groups also face persecution. Buddhists, who represent
less than one percent of the population, experience discrimination and violence due to ongoing
tensions over land, particularly in the CHT (see the section on separatism and autonomy). Chris-
tians are increasingly targeted by violent Islamist groups. One major attack against Christians
took place on June 3, 2001, when a bomb exploded in a Catholic church in south Bangladesh,
resulting in at least nine deaths and 20 injuries.40 In 2015, a number of priests received death
threats, and some were nearly killed.41 While the majority of the Muslim population in Bangladesh
is Sunni, other Islamic denominations and sects are subject to discrimination. Members of the
Ahmadiyya community, numbering 100,000 in Bangladesh, have faced frequent hostility from
local Islamist organizations since the early 1990s. As of 2015, Shia shrines have also been targeted
by violent Islamist groups. Likewise, violence against indigenous communities is widespread
across the country. The Kapaeeng Foundation documented at least 13 extrajudicial killings and
the torture and physical assault of 134 indigenous individuals in 2015.42
Bangladesh

In general, the police have done little to prevent this violence, and authorities have failed
to bring perpetrators to justice. Deteriorating political and security conditions and a culture of
impunity have significantly increased the vulnerability of religious minorities and indigenous
people in the country.
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32
 Local level

Local political conflict and electoral violence

Local electoral violence is characterized by retaliatory clashes between the ruling
party and opposition parties. Violence is increasingly used to reduce political
participation and as a strategy in political competition, even at the local level.
After the national government amended the Local Government Act to allow political parties to
contest local government elections, local elections were held for the first time on party lines in
234 municipalities on December 30, 2015. The elections were marked by widespread violence,
irregularities, and vote rigging. Activists and supporters of the ruling-party (AL) candidates re-
portedly committed acts of intimidation and violence against the candidates and supporters of
the opposition BNP and other political parties. Odhikar documented six deaths and nearly 1,300
injuries in the run-up to and aftermath of the municipal elections.43 The local political climate
continued to be volatile throughout 2016. The elections for Union Parishad, the lowest tier of
local government institutions, which were held in phases from March to June 2016, resulted in
143 deaths and many injuries due to violent confrontations between political opponents.44 Human
rights organizations believe that the Election Commission has failed to deliver fair and peaceful
elections and to prevent illegitimate activities by the government.

Local conflict over resources and community rights

See the separatism and autonomy section on local conflict over indigenous rights
in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Urban crime and violence

As Bangladesh has experienced rapid urbanization in metropolitan areas, levels of
urban crime and violence have also risen. Dhaka, the capital, with a population of
over 7 million people, had the highest number of reported crimes at 19,727 in 2015,
followed by Chittagong at 4,862. Theft is the most common form of crime reported in Dhaka,
followed by violence against women and children (figure 2). While the incidence of dacoity,45

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Dacoity Violence against women and children Robbery Kidnapping

Murder Burglary Riot Theft
Bangladesh

Figure 2. Dhaka’s crime statistics (2010–2015)

Source: Prepared based on statistics provided by the Bangladesh Police46
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33
 robbery, murder, violence against women and children, and theft fell from 2010 to 2015, riots,
kidnapping, and burglary increased. The largest proportional increase was in riot-related crimes,
which rose from three to 26 cases between 2010 and 2015. An alarming trend is the growth in
police seizures of illegal explosives, which jumped from 82 incidents in 2010 to 195 in 2015. The
national homicide rate remains low at 2.6 per 100,000 people.

Domestic and gender-based violence

Violence against women and girls is common in Bangladesh. Women and girls
face various forms of gender-based violence, including domestic violence, physical
and psychological abuse, dowry-related violence, rape, and early marriage. Deeply
rooted patriarchal social norms and traditional practices and a weak and corrupt criminal jus-
tice system enable such violence. The Bangladesh police recorded over 21,000 cases of violence
against women and children in 2015, making it the most prevalent violent crime in Bangladesh.47

Domestic violence is the most pervasive form of violence against women and girls in Bang-
ladesh, and it is significantly underreported. The Report on Violence Against Women Survey
2015, carried out by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, revealed that almost three-quarters
of women who had ever been married had experienced violence at the hands of a spouse.48 The
most common form of intimate partner violence was controlling behavior (55.4 percent), followed
by physical violence (49.6 percent). Nearly one-third had experienced sexual violence by their
spouse. Three in every five married women had experienced a combination of physical, sexual,
and emotional violence. The survey also found that rates of intimate partner violence were higher
in rural areas (51.8 percent) than in urban areas (48.5 percent). The majority of women (72.7
percent) did not disclose their experience of intimate partner violence to anyone, a rate that was
similar in rural and urban areas.

Dowry-related violence is a root cause of domestic violence, despite the Dowry Prohibition
Act of 1980. Dowry demands are usually settled at the time of marriage; however, some men
and their families continue to make dowry demands throughout the marriage. Women who are

1,500
1,350
1,336

1,200

907
900 805 814 789
896

639 711 757

622 666
600
454 559

459 456
300

0
20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Bangladesh

Figure 3. Rape cases in Bangladesh (2001–2016)

Source: Prepared based on data provided by Odhikar49
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34
unable to satisfy those demands suffer threats of abandonment, beatings, cigarette burns, dep-
rivation of food and medicine, acid attacks, and death. In 2016, Odhikar reported 206 cases of
such violence against married women,50 with 107 women killed, 94 physically abused, and five
committing suicide. Documented cases of dowry-related violence have declined significantly over
the years, however, falling from 822 in 2012 to 206 in 2016.

Early marriage remains prevalent. Until recently, the legal age of marriage for women was
18, but a large proportion of women are married before reaching this age. The Bangladesh De-
mographic and Health Survey (BDHS) indicates that the proportion of women marrying in their
early teens has declined. The 2014 BDHS found that 59 percent of women aged 20–24 got married
before the age of 18, a decrease from 65 percent in 2011.51 The median age at first marriage among
women aged 20–49 increased from 14.4 years in 1993–94 to 16.1 years in 2014. Childbearing
also begins early in Bangladesh, with almost half of women aged 25–49 having given birth by
the age of 18. Although early marriage is declining, Bangladesh recently took a step backwards in
efforts to end child marriage. Despite criticisms from domestic and international human rights
and women’s organizations, the parliament passed the Child Marriage Restraint Act in February
2017, permitting girls younger than the age of 18 to be married in special cases.52

Rape is one of the most common forms of violence against women and girls in Bangladesh,
but victims rarely seek legal redress, due to social stigma. There were 757 reported cases of rape
in 2016, 212 of them gang rapes, and more than two-thirds involving children below the age of
18.53 The number of reported rapes has begun to increase again since 2009 (figure 3).

Bangladesh
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35
 Notes

1  ark Dummett, “Bangladesh war: The article that

M ment​-​shuts-down-critics-0.
changed history,” BBC News, December 16, 2011, 15 “ Mass arrests in Bangladesh: Round up the usual
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-16207201; Ziad suspects,” The Economist, January 27, 2016, http://
Obermeyer, Christopher J. L. Murray, and Emmanuela www.economist.com/news/asia/21700669-spate-as​
Gakidou, “Fifty years of violent war deaths from Viet- sassinations-provokes-heavy-handed-response-round-
nam to Bosnia: analysis of data from the world health up-usual-suspects.
survey programme,” British Medical Journal 336, 16 “Politics and deaths in Bangladesh: the noose tightens,”
no. 7659 (2008), http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ The Economist, November 26, 2015, http://www.econ​
articles/PMC2440905/. omist.com/news/asia/21679230-opposition-flounder​
2 The AL is a left, secular-democratic political party ing-sheikh-hasina-has-her-way-noose-tightens.
drawing support from minorities such as Shiite Mus- 17 Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI), The State of
lims and Bangladeshi Hindus. The BNP is a national- the Terrorism in Bangladesh: 2010–2011 (Dhaka:
istic, conservative party allied with Islamist parties but BEI, 2011), 13, http://bei-bd.org/wp-content/uploads/​
practicing secular politics. The BNP takes a hard-line 2015/04/The-State-of-Terrorism-in-Bangladesh-​2010-
approach to India and is openly pro-Pakistan. 2011.pdf.
3 Odhikar, Human Rights Report 2008: Odhikar report 18 “ Bombs explode across Bangladesh,” BBC News,
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Report 2016 (Dhaka: Odhikar, 2016), 11, http:// nomicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/
odhikar.org/annual-human-rights-report-2016/; Global-Terrorism-Index-2016.2.pdf.
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5 “Political Violence | January–31st December 2013,” isis-infect-south-asia-14538?page=2.
Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) website, January 11, 2014, 21 Amy Nordrum, “Publisher Of Secular Writings Killed
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6 “68 Deaths due to Political Violence in January–Feb- ibtimes.com/publisher-secular-writings-killed-bang​
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4, 2014, http://www.askbd.org/ask/2014/03/04/68- 22 E llen Barry and Julfikar Ali Manik. “ISIS Claims
deaths-2014-due-political-violence/. Responsibility for Attack in Bangladesh,” New York
7 The caretaker government system was created to gov- Times, October 24, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/​
ern in an interim period during the transition from one 2015/10/25/world/asia/isis-claims-responsibility-​
elected government to another so that an election could for-attack-in-bangladesh-targeting-shias.html.
be held in a free and fair manner without political influ- 23 Iftekharul Bashar, “Countering terror in Bangladesh,”
ence by the incumbent government. First used in 1996, East Asia Forum, January 5, 2017, http://www.easta​
a caretaker government also managed the elections and siaforum.org/2017/01/05/countering-terror-in-bang​
transition in 2001 and 2008. In June 2011, the ruling ladesh/.
AL used its parliamentary majority to push through 24 Other terms to refer to the indigenous peoples in the
an amendment to the constitution that abolished the CHT are pahari (hill people), upajati (tribals), and adi-
caretaker government system. vasi (first peoples). There are currently 11 tribal groups
8 Human Rights Watch, Democracy in the Crossfire: Op- in the CHT: Bawm, Chak, Chakma, Khumi, Khyang,
position Violence and Government Abuses in the 2014 Lushai, Marma, Mro, Pangkhua, Tachangya, and Tri-
Pre- and Post-Election Period in Bangladesh (New pura. Anne-Kathrin Glatz, Comprehensive response
York: Human Rights Watch, 2014), 3, http://www. required to complex displacement crisis (Internal
hrw.org/reports/2014/04/29/democracy-crossfire. Displacement Monitoring Centre, 2015), http://www.
9 Ibid. internal-displacement.org/south-and-south-east-asia/
10 Ibid., 19. bangladesh/2015/bangladesh-comprehensive-re​
11 Ibid., 24. sponse-required-to-complex-displacement-crisis/.
12 Syed Tashfin Chowdhury, “Bloody blockade cripples 25 Uppsala University, “Uppsala Conflict Data Program
Bangladesh economy,”Aljazeera, March 13, 2015, (UCDP) Conflict Encyclopedia: Bangladesh,” UCDP
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/03/ website, accessed February 5, 2015, http://www.
bloody-blockade-cripples-bangladesh-economy-​ ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/gpcountry.php?id=12&region​
150311112641085.html. Select=6-Central_and_Southern_Asia#.
13 World Bank, Bangladesh Development Update (Wash- 26 Amnesty International, Bangladesh: Unlawful Killings
ington, DC: World Bank, 2015), 3, http://documents. and Torture in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (London:
worldbank.org/curated/en/550801468014652230/ Amnesty International, 1986), 13, http://www.amnesty.​
Bangladesh

Bangladesh-development-update-April-2015. org/en/library/info/ASA13/021/1986/en.
14 “Bangladesh: Government Shuts Down Critics,” Hu- 27 United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN-
man Rights Watch website, January 27, 2016, https:// ESC), Study on the status of implementation of the
www.hrw.org/news/2016/01/27/bangladesh-govern​ Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord of 1997 (E/C.19/2011/6)
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28 Amnesty International, Pushed to the Edge: Indigenous 45 Dacoity is a Bengali term for banditry—robbery by
Rights Denied in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts armed groups.
(London: Amnesty International, 2013), 20, http:// 46 “Crime Statistics,” Bangladesh Police website, accessed
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29 Glatz, Comprehensive response required. 47 Ibid.
30 Ibid. 48 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Report on
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“Bangladesh: amendment of CHT Land Commission 2016), http://evaw-global-database.unwomen.org/-/
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August 22, 2016, http://iphrdefenders.net/bangla​ 49 “Statistics Rape 2001–2017,” Odhikar website, ac-
desh-amendment-cht-land-commission-act-govern​ cessed February 27, 2017, http://odhikar.org/statistics/​
ment-implementation-process-cht-accord/. statistics-on-violence-against-women/.
32 Amnesty International, Pushed to the Edge, 26. 50 Odhikar, Annual Human Rights Report 2016, 32.
33 Reported cases of violence against women include 51 National Institute of Population Research and Training
rape, gang rape, rape followed by murder, physical (NIPORT), Mitra and Associates, and ICF Interna-
assault, attempted rape, abduction, sexual harassment, tional, Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey
and trafficking. Kapaeeng Foundation, Human Rights 2014 (Dhaka and Rockville, Maryland: NIPORT, Mitra
Report 2015 on Indigenous Peoples in Bangladesh and Associates, and ICF International, 2016), 41–42,
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unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/John%20Tripura.pdf. 52 Lizzie Dearden, “Bangladesh child marriage: New
34 Bina D’Costa, Marginalisation and Impunity: Violence law will ‘reduce minimum marital age to zero,’” In-
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35 According to the 2011 census, the religious breakdown 53 Odhikar, Annual Human Rights Report 2016, 30.
is Muslim 90.4 percent, Hindu 8.5 percent, Buddhist
0.6 percent, Christian 0.3 percent, and others 0.1
percent. Minority Rights Group International (MRG),
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ities in Bangladesh (London: MRG, 2016), 7, http://
minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/
MRG_Rep_Ban_Oct16_ONLINE.pdf.
36 “Statistics on Repression against Religious Minority:
2007–2017 (January–February),” Odhikar website, ac-
cessed February 24, 2017, http://odhikar.org/sta​tistics/
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37 “Statistics on Repression against Religious Minority,”
Odhikar website.
38 Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC),
Bangladesh: minorities increasingly at risk of
displacement (Geneva: IDMC, 2006), 21, http://
www.internal-displacement.org/assets/publications​
/2006/200603-ap-bangladesh-bangladesh-minorities​
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39 Abbas Faiz, “Public Statement–Bangladesh: Govern-
ment must protect the minority Hindu community,”
Amnesty International website, February 2, 2014,
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA13/​
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40 “Bangladesh church bomb kills nine,” BBC News,
June 3, 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_
asia/1367073.stm.
41 MRG, Under Threat, 13.
42 See Kapaeeng Foundation, Human Rights Report
2015, 44.
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