Although Bangladesh has attained remarkable success in increasing literacy rates for woman and decreasing the maternal and child mortality rate, violence against women is still very high in our society among which domestic violence is widely prevalent in both urban and rural areas as on every day matter of women lives.
A study by ICDDRB in 2006 indicated that 60% of violence suffered by women occurs within their home. The 5th Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, (BDHS) 2007 showed 53% of women experienced sexual or physical violence from husbands.
Being vulnerable in a patriarchal society, women face various types of domestic violence in Bangladesh. In a recent study (Centre for Policy Dialogue, 2009) it has been observed that mainly four types of domestic violence occur, i.e. physical, psychological, economic and sexual and sexual abuse and violence; all are prevalent throughout Bangladesh. Most of the victims (93%) reported in the study that they had experienced physical violence; only 13% reported of having experience of sexual violence, 92% of victims reported economic violence and 84% reported psychological violence committee by their husbands.
Occurrence of domestic violence varies little in terms of urban-rural divide. A ICDDR,B study shows that among ever-married women, 40% of those in the urban area and 42% in the rural area reported physical violence by their husband (ICDDR,B,2066). However, sexual violence by husband is more prevalent in rural areas (50%) than urban areas (37%), according to the study.
We often focus on grave social and health impact of domestic violence as it creates social instability, insecurity and gender disparity. But the economic impact is immense, which remains unseen most of the time. A care study shows that domestic violence costs 2.05% loss of Bangladesh’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) worth around Tk.15 crore annually.
The amount is equal to the sum spent by the government in the health and nutrition sector, said the study conducted on 483 such women victims from January to June in 2010 villages of Dinajpur, Tangail and Sunamganj.
Most domestic violence involves male anger directed against their women partners. Cross-cultural studies of wife abuse have found that nearly a fifth of peasant and small-scale societies are essentially free of family violence. The existence of such cultures proves that male violence against women is not the inevitable result of male biology or sexuality, but more a matter of how society views masculinity.
The causes of domestic violence identified range from sexual inequality within a patriarchal system, poverty and a lack of understanding of women’s rights to, alarmingly, corruption within the justice system. Many cases of domestic violence go unreported; the majority of them are not brought to court; few are awarded convictions.
The WHO Multi-country study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence against Women (2005) showed that less than 1% of physically abused women reported the matter.
It is a matter of concern that a culture of acceptance even, has grown and is being transmitted from generation to generation to the point of being institutionalised. A study of BNWLA shows that 30% of women think that husbands have the “right” to inflict physical violence upon their wives.

Child marriage is a violation of human rights. Is adversely affects education, health and wellbeing of girls and perpetuates cycles of poverty. Child brides experience the detrimental the detrimental physical, psychological and social consequences of child marriage. This is a global phenomenon and a grave cause for concern.

Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world. This survey shows that in Bangladesh, 64% of women currently aged 20-24 were married before the age of 18. The is despite the fact that the minimum legal age of marriage for females in Bangladesh is 18 years and 21 for males.

The survey finds that a lack of education is strongly associated with levels of child marriage. Not only is this an additional driver, marriage under the age of 18 also deprives girls of their right to education. Many girls drop out of school after entering wedlock. Another adverse effect of child marriage is early pregnancy and childbirth. These can have detrimental and long-term health effects on girls whose bodies are not development enough to give birth and also increase health risks to the newborn.

In the aftermath of massive human rights abuses, victims have well established rights to see the perpetrators punished, to know the truth, and to receive reparations. Because systemic human rights violations affect not just the direct victims, but society as a whole, in addition to satisfying these obligations, states have duties to guarantee that the violations will not recur, and therefore, a special duty to reform institutions that were either involved in or incapable of preventing the abuses. A history of unaddressed massive abuses is likely to be socially divisive, to generate mistrust between groups and in the institutions of the State, and to hamper or slow down the achievement of security and development goals. It raises questions about the commitment to the rule of law and, ultimately, can lead to cyclical recurrence of violence in various forms. As it is seen in most countries where massive human rights violations take place, the claims of justice refuse to ‘go away’.

We, the people of Bangladesh, having proclaimed our independence on the 26th day of March, 1971 and through a historic struggle for national liberation, established the independent, sovereign People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Pledging that the high ideals of nationalism, socialism, democracy and secularism, which inspired our heroic people to dedicate themselves to, and our brave martyrs to sacrifice their lives in, the national liberation struggle, shall be the fundamental principles of the Constitution. Further pledging that it shall be a fundamental aim of the State to realise through the democratic process a socialist society, free from exploitation a society in which the rule of law, fundamental human rights and freedom, equality and justice, political, economic and social, will be secured for all citizens. Affirming that it is our sacred duty to safeguard, protect and defend this Constitution and to maintain its supremacy as the embodiment of the will of the people of Bangladesh so that we may prosper in freedom and may make our full contribution towards international peace and co operation in keeping with the progressive aspirations of mankind.