Organized and Institutionalized Sexual Exploitation and Violence:

A large percentage of the 120,000 women in the garment industry suffer sexual exploitation. There is no legislation protecting workers in the informal sector laws (Fawzia Karim Firoze & Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper: Law and Legislation")

During the 1971 war in Bangladesh, 200,000 women and girls were sexually abused and raped by soldiers. (Sigma Huda, "Laws and Legislation Relating to Sexual Exploitation")

Self appointed village bodies have issued fatwas against women for "incorrect behavior." In several cases women have been violently punished and murdered. (Fawzia Karim Firoze and Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper: Law and Legislation")

Muslim and Bangladeshi state laws prohibit the marriage of girl children. This prohibition is ignored and the practice defended by state and religious leaders, especially in rural areas where girls as young as 10 are illegally married. (Fawzia Karim Firoze and Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper: Law and Legislation")

Women held in "safe custody" and other forms of confinement are often abused, raped and murdered by law enforcement officials. (Fawzia Karim Firoze and Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper: Law and Legislation")

In 1997, 21 Bangladeshi women reported being raped by police officers, 7 of whom were in custody. ('Ain-o-Salish Kendra NGO records, Tabibul Islam, "Rape of Minors Worry Parents," Inter Press Service, 8 April 1998)

Policy and Law

Rape laws in Bangladesh are outdated and ineffective, such as the 1860 Penal Code and the Law of criminal Procedure 1860, which demands that eyewitnesses testify to the act. Of 311 women surveyed who had been raped, none recieved any form of justice because of loopholes in the law. (Ain-o-Salish Kendra survey, Tabibul Islam, "Rape of Minors Worry Parents," Inter Press Service, 8 April 1998)

Within the Prevention of Repression Against Women and Children Act, 1997, there is no provision for punishment of sexual harassment or mental torture of those held in custody. (Fawzia Karim Firoze and Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper: Law and Legislation")

The Department of Women's Affairs has established a Cell Against Violence Against Women. In 1996 it dealt with 83 cases of acid throwing; 1415 cases of rape; 1664 cases of physical assault; 138 cases of trafficking; 85 cases of procurement of women for illicit reasons; 594 cases of dowry; 115 cases of maintenance, and 1539 cases of suicide; a total of 5933 cases in all. In 1995/96 the Dhaka unit received 1176 cases. It carried out 550 cases of restoration of family relations, 363 cases of procurement of maintenance and dower money of an amount of 688,280 Takas. Legal counselling was provided in 185 cases. Twenty-nine cases were filed in court. Ninety-one cases were sent to other agencies. (Bangladesh CEDAW Report, 1 April 1997)

Fatwas

Women, especially poor and rural women, are increasingly becoming the target of fatwas (religious edicts) by religious leaders in Bangladesh. In Faridpur, a mother of two children was set on fire, for an "illegitimate relationship." She was tied to a tree and flogged 50 times and then set on fire. In 1993, a 30-year-old woman was stoned to death for an "illegal marriage" in Kamalganj Thana of Northeastern Sylhet. The lower half of her body was buried and she was stoned 101 times. It took an hour for her to die. (Ershadul Huq, India Abroad News Service, 30 November 1997)

Case

Three Bangladeshi policemen were sentenced to death for the 1995 rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in a highway patrol van. The police claimed she was only a prostitute. Riots followed this pronouncement in which the police fired on the crowd killing 7 people. (Associated Press, 1 September 1997)

In October 1996, Shima Chowdhury and her boyfriend, Abdul Hafiz were arrested for walking together in public without being married. The police did not keep a record of the arrest, and held them both without allowing them to be seen by a court, which is illegal. While detained, Shima was drugged and raped to the point of unconsciousness. In July 1997in Bangladesh four policemen were acquitted of raping Shima Chowdhury. She died in "safe custody" under mysterious circumstances after reporting the rape. "Safe custody" is used by police for victims of rape, sexual assault, trafficking and kidnapping. It purports to provide safety for those in danger of further assault, but in reality it is a form of punishment. The women are kept with other prisoners and are treated as if they are charged with, or convicted for, an offence. ("Bangladesh: Failure by state protects alleged rapist," AI Index, 13 May 1997)