Bangladesh continues to face alarming levels of intimate partner violence, with global and national data analyses highlighting it as one of the most persistent and least addressed forms of abuse against women in the country
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DHAKA — Bangladesh continues to face alarming levels of intimate partner violence, with global and national data analyses highlighting it as one of the most persistent and least addressed forms of abuse against women in the country, according to local media reports.
As the world observes the International Day of Families on Friday, the findings from Bangladesh reveal a troubling reality-- violence within intimate relationships remains pervasive, affecting women’s wellbeing and weakening the family structure.
Although intimate partner violence has long been a concern in Bangladesh, the country continues to rank among the world’s worst-affected countries for domestic violence, with rates far higher than those of many neighbouring nations. Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, The Daily Star, reported
According to data compiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Bangladesh ranks 11th globally for the prevalence of physical and sexual violence against women by intimate partners, making it the second-worst-affected country in South Asia after Afghanistan.
As per WHO data in 2025, nearly one in two women in Bangladesh have faced such violence, which has continued at alarmingly high levels over the years.
Additionally, national surveys reviewed by The Daily Star further reflect the severity of the issue.
Reports suggest that the latest survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) found that 46.7 per cent of women had experienced physical violence by an intimate partner, while 28.5 per cent reported sexual violence. The survey also recorded emotional abuse among 32.7 per cent, economic violence among 9.7 per cent, and controlling behaviour by partners among 50.1 per cent of respondents.
The Violence Against Women Survey 2024, released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics in February 2025, revealed that 70 per cent of women aged 15 and above in Bangladesh faced at least one form of intimate partner violence during their lifetime.
Experts warn that such violence not only causes severe physical and psychological harm to women but also destabilises families, affects children’s development, and reinforces cycles of fear, silence, and inequality across generations.
"My research indicates that children from families where partner violence is common are more susceptible to trauma, fear of intimacy, avoidant behaviour, and tendencies towards revenge." The Daily Star quoted Zobaida Nasreen, professor of anthropology at Dhaka University, as saying.