August 19, 2025
DHAKA – For the past week, social media has been abuzz over the tragic death of Syeda Fahmida Tahsin Keya, a 25-year-old mother of four from Dhaka’s Shewrapara, on the night of August 13.
Her family alleges that Keya was murdered by her husband, Sifat Ali, who initially tried to present her death as suicide.
Keya’s parents told the media that she had been cooking dinner that evening. “Half of the meat was on the stove, and the rest was waiting to be added. In such a situation, how could she suddenly decide to take her own life?” they asked.
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Family sources added that Keya’s elder daughter spoke about the events of that night. After returning home, Sifat allegedly assaulted Keya during an argument, locked her in a room, and later phoned her family, saying she was seriously ill.
When her parents rushed to the hospital, they found she had already died. Sifat abandoned her body there and fled, leaving their four children with his sister.
Just a week earlier, another young mother was killed. In Gazipur’s Kashimpur, 19-year-old Jamey, mother of two, was reportedly suffocated to death with a pillow by her husband, Rakib Hasan.
These incidents have fuelled public outrage on social media, but rights groups say murders by husbands remain a grim, almost daily reality in Bangladesh.
According to Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), 363 incidents of domestic violence were reported in Bangladesh between January and July this year, resulting in 322 deaths — including 114 suicides.
Among these fatalities, 133 women were killed by their husbands, 42 by in-laws, and 33 by their own family members.
That means, on average, 19 women were killed by their husbands every month this year.
Less than half of these incidents have led to formal cases being filed.
Data from the national emergency helpline 999 underscores the scale of the crisis. Between January and August 15, the service logged 17,341 calls on violence against women, including 9,394 specifically
reporting abuse by husbands.
The toll-free 24/7 National Helpline Centre for Violence Against Women & Children (109), run by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, does not record domestic violence as a separate category. But between January and July, it received 29,161 calls reporting physical assault and 19,584 calls relating to mental abuse.
The latest Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Violence Against Women Survey 2024, based on interviews with 27,476 women, paints an equally alarming picture.
Women are three times more likely to face physical abuse and 14 times more likely to suffer sexual violence from their husbands than from others.
Of the surveyed women, 70 percent reported experiencing at least one form of abuse — physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or controlling behaviour. More than half (54 percent) said they had faced physical or sexual violence from their husbands.
Yet most victims remain silent — 64 percent never disclose the abuse, and only 7.4 percent seek legal action.
Experts say victims’ silence is rooted in fear of damaging family reputation, concern for children, and the societal normalisation of abuse. A lack of shelters, counselling, medical care, and livelihood support leaves many women trapped.
“The lack of respect and recognition for women remains glaring in our society. Within households, women are still not treated as equals, and their contributions often go unacknowledged. What is most troubling is that violence has become socially normalised,” said Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation.
She added, “When a husband raises his hand against his wife, unless the injuries are severe, the incident often goes unreported. Family members rarely see it as something to protest, as the husband is regarded as head of the household and primary provider. Women from poorer families are even more vulnerable; many parents, fearing social stigma and financial hardship, are unable to bring their daughters back home.”
Bangladesh has been a signatory to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). In line with these commitments, the government passed the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010.
The law provides for protection orders, residence orders, compensation for harm, and even temporary custody of children. But despite these provisions, enforcement has been weak.
A 2020 ActionAid Bangladesh study, conducted by Dhaka University law professor Taslima Yasmin, analysed 90 case records and found that most victims and local authorities are unaware of the law. In districts such as Sylhet and Jashore, the Act is often known only for returning valuables or seeking maintenance.
Nineteen out of 20 survivors interviewed had never heard of it. Police, NGOs, and community members rarely inform victims of their legal rights.
“The main obstacles are a lack of public awareness, insufficient dissemination of information online and offline, and gaps in effective implementation,” said Supreme Court lawyer Ayesha Akhter, legal specialist for the Gender Justice and Women Empowerment Cluster at Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST).
She also noted that information frequently fails to reach marginalised communities.
The ActionAid study also identified enforcement challenges, including overburdened and under-equipped officers, lack of training on the law, and insufficient coordination among agencies.
Victims are often directed towards informal mediation or other laws, such as the Penal Code 1860, the Women and Children Repression Act 2000, or the Dowry Prohibition Act 2018, instead of remedies under the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010.
Moreover, the scarcity of shelters and livelihood options forces many survivors to return to abusive homes, undermining the law’s effectiveness.
Shaheen Anam said, “I once asked a woman why she did not file a case after being severely assaulted. She replied, ‘If my husband is arrested, how will I feed my children?’ Since the state does not ensure financial security for women after filing a case, many are forced to endure abuse in silence.”
Her concern is real, as according to a 2020 Human Rights Watch report, Bangladesh has only 13 long-term government shelters for women and girls — seven Safe Custody Homes and six run by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs.
In addition, eight short-term Victim Support Centres provide temporary stays of up to five days, though services are inconsistent, and many victims are allowed to stay only overnight.
Approximately 15 additional NGO-run shelters exist, bringing the total to around 36 shelters in a country with over 80 million women and 64 million children — far from sufficient.
Fauzia Moslem, president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, said women must be empowered to make decisions about their own lives. “They need to organise themselves and participate at all levels of society, particularly in decision-making processes,” she said.
She added, “The women’s movement must be strengthened, and the justice system reformed so that people can genuinely experience justice. Society must be reconstructed to leave no space for violence against women.”