Domestic Violence Law in Bangladesh: Protection Orders Under the 2010 Act

Domestic violence law Bangladesh: what the 2010 Act gives survivors in 2026

Domestic violence law Bangladesh enacted in 2010 gives a woman or child abused at home something the criminal law alone does not: fast civil-style orders from a Judicial Magistrate that stop the abuse, keep her in the family home, pay for her losses and keep her children with her. The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010 covers physical, psychological, sexual and economic abuse, sets a seven-working-day deadline for a first hearing, and makes breach of a protection order a criminal offence.[1]

This guide is written for survivors, their families and the caseworkers who support them. It explains who can apply and where, each order the court can make, the deadlines and the penalties for breach, then sets the Act alongside the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 as amended by Act No. 85 of 2026, the Dowry Prohibition Act 2018 and the Penal Code, and lists the services that can help today. Where another TRW guide covers a topic in depth, we link to it.

Summary: The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010 lets a woman or child abused by a family member, or someone acting for her, apply to a Judicial Magistrate or Metropolitan Magistrate for an interim protection order, a protection order, a residence order, a compensation and maintenance order and a temporary custody order. Hearings must be fixed within seven working days and most applications decided within sixty working days of notice. Breaching a protection order is punishable with up to six months' imprisonment or a fine of Tk 10,000, rising to two years or Tk 1 lakh for a repeat breach. Serious violence, dowry abuse and sexual offences can also be prosecuted under the criminal law at the same time.

Key point: The 2010 Act does not make domestic violence itself a crime. Its power lies in court orders, and the offence arises when the abuser breaks one. A survivor facing assault, dowry demands or sexual violence can pursue protection orders and a criminal case together, because the Act operates in addition to other laws, not in place of them.

At a glance

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Table of Contents

What domestic violence law Bangladesh recognises

The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010, Act No. 58 of 2010, was passed to give effect to Bangladesh's commitments under the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and the equality guarantees in the Constitution.[1] Its purpose is protective rather than punitive: to stop violence in the home quickly and to secure the survivor's safety, housing and money while longer disputes are resolved.

The four forms of abuse in section 3

Section 3 defines domestic violence as physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse or economic loss caused to a woman or child member of a family by a person with whom she has a family relationship.[1] Each limb is defined broadly:

• Physical abuse: any act or conduct that harms or is likely to harm her life, health, safety or any part of her body, including forcing or inciting her to commit an offence and the use of force.
• Psychological abuse: verbal abuse, insults, contempt, threats or remarks that cause mental harm; harassment; and interference with personal freedom, meaning her normal movement, communication or expression of her own wishes and opinions.
• Sexual abuse: conduct of a sexual nature that harms her dignity, honour or reputation.
• Economic abuse: depriving her of money, resources or property to which she is entitled by law, custom or court order; failing to provide daily necessities; depriving her of wedding gifts, stridhan or other gifts; transferring her property without consent; and cutting off resources she is entitled to use because of the family relationship.

The economic limb matters more than survivors often realise. Withholding household money, taking a wife's jewellery or salary, or selling her land without consent are all domestic violence under the Act, even where there has been no physical assault.[1]

Who is protected

The Act protects an "aggrieved person", defined as a woman or child who has suffered, is suffering or is at risk of domestic violence from another family member because of a family relationship. "Woman" means a woman of any age, and "child" means anyone under eighteen.[1] A girl abused by her father, a widow abused by her in-laws, a mother abused by an adult son and a wife abused by her husband all fall within the Act.

Family relationship and the shared residence

A family relationship is one established by blood, marriage, adoption or membership of a joint family. The "shared residence" is broadly defined: the home where she lives, or lived with the respondent during the relationship, whether owned or rented by either of them, or in which either holds any right, title or equitable interest.[1] That breadth is deliberate. It stops an abuser defeating a residence claim simply because the house is in his parents' name.

What the Act does not cover

Two limits should be understood at the outset. First, the Act protects only women and children; an adult man abused at home must rely on the Penal Code. Second, the Act creates no offence of domestic violence as such. The only offences it creates are breach of a protection order and filing a knowingly false application.[1] Section 35 makes the Act additional to, and not in derogation of, any other law, so the criminal routes discussed below remain fully available.[1]

Who can apply under domestic violence law Bangladesh, and where

Who may file

Under section 11, an application may be made by the aggrieved person herself or, on her behalf, by an enforcement officer, a service provider or any other person.[1] This matters in practice. A sister, a neighbour, a teacher or an NGO caseworker can start the case where the survivor is confined, frightened or too unwell to go to court herself, although her own wishes should guide every step.

The court: Judicial Magistrate or Metropolitan Magistrate

Section 21 gives jurisdiction to a Judicial Magistrate or, in metropolitan areas, a Metropolitan Magistrate, notwithstanding anything in the Code of Criminal Procedure. There is no upper monetary limit on the compensation a Judicial Magistrate can award under the Act.[1] The procedure is the Code of Criminal Procedure, using the summary trial procedure in Chapter XXII.[1]

Where to file

Section 12 gives the survivor a choice of four places. She may file before a court with jurisdiction where she lives, where the respondent lives, where the violence happened, or where she is temporarily staying.[1] A woman who has fled to her parents' home in another district can therefore apply there rather than return to the district where the abuser lives.

The form and the Rules 2013

Applications must be made in the form prescribed by rules, and the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Rules 2013 supply the forms and the operational detail.[1] [2] Under rule 2(d), enforcement officers are the upazila women affairs officers of the Department of Women Affairs, or persons appointed by gazette notification.[2] Ask the upazila or district women affairs office, the district legal aid office or a service-provider NGO for the current form; a lawyer can file it with a supporting statement and any medical papers.

The duties of police, enforcement officers and service providers

Section 4 requires any police officer who learns of domestic violence to tell the survivor of her right to a remedy under the Act, her access to medical care, the services of the enforcement officer, free legal aid under the Legal Aid Services Act 2000 and remedies under other laws.[1] The enforcement officer's duties under section 6 include assisting the court, reporting incidents, informing the police station, filing a protection application at the survivor's request, helping her obtain legal aid, sending her to a shelter with her consent, arranging a medical examination and ensuring compliance with compensation orders.[1]

Recognised NGOs act as service providers under section 7, recording incidents with the survivor's consent and arranging medical examination and shelter. Sections 8 and 9 oblige shelter homes and hospitals to admit and treat a survivor on request, and an enforcement officer who neglects a court order without good cause faces departmental action.[1]

Interim protection orders and the first seven days

Speed is the defining feature of the 2010 Act. Once an application is received, the court must fix a hearing date within seven working days.[1] Under section 13, if the court is satisfied on the papers that domestic violence has occurred or is likely to occur, it may grant an interim protection order ex parte, without hearing the respondent first, and direct him to show cause within seven working days of notice why a permanent protection order should not be made.[1]

Notice may be served by registered post, a process server, a law enforcement agency or another prescribed method, and orders are to be served within three working days of receipt.[1] Copies of every order must be supplied free of charge to the parties, the officer in charge of the police station, the enforcement officer and, where relevant, the service provider.[1] A survivor should keep her copy with her and give one to the local police station so officers can act quickly if the order is broken.

The interim stage is where preparation pays off. A short, dated account of recent incidents, photographs of injuries, a medical certificate from a hospital or One-Stop Crisis Centre, screenshots of threats and the names of witnesses make it far easier for the court to be satisfied on the first day.

The protection order under section 14

After hearing both sides, the court may make a full protection order if satisfied that domestic violence has occurred or is likely to occur. Section 14 allows the court to prohibit the respondent from:

• committing any act of domestic violence;
• aiding or abetting domestic violence by anyone else;
• entering her workplace, business, educational institution or any other place she regularly visits;
• communicating with her in person, in writing, by telephone, mobile phone, email or any other means;
• committing violence against her dependants, relatives or anyone who has helped protect her; and
• any other act specified in the order.[1]

The no-contact limb is wide enough to cover messaging apps and social media, and an order should say so expressly where online harassment has been part of the abuse. Where the abuse includes intimate images or threats online, the cyber offences discussed in our guide to cyber law in Bangladesh may also apply.

A protection order lasts until the survivor applies to withdraw it and the court accepts that application.[1] Either party may apply to vary, extend, modify or cancel an order on a change of circumstances, and the court must record written reasons for any change.[1] In practice, an open-ended protection order is one of the strongest features of domestic violence law Bangladesh offers, because it removes the need to return to court every few months.

Residence orders: the right to stay in the shared home

Section 10 gives an aggrieved person the right to live in the shared residence because of her family relationship.[1] Section 15 turns that right into enforceable orders. On her application the court may:

• bar the respondent from living in or entering the part of the shared residence where she lives;
• restrain him from dispossessing her or disturbing her possession;
• with her consent, arrange a safe shelter under the enforcement officer's supervision if the home is unsafe for her or her children;
• direct him to provide alternative accommodation or pay rent for it;
• allow her to enter the home with the enforcement officer to collect her belongings, including medical, educational and professional records, passport, cheque books, savings certificates, bank and tax papers, jewellery, cash, mobile phone and household items; and
• order him to let her continue using a vehicle she uses and pays for.[1]

Temporary removal of the abuser

Where the court has reasonable grounds to believe it is necessary for her safety, it may order the respondent's temporary eviction from the shared residence. That order lapses if suitable safe shelter or alternative housing can be provided for her, or if the court is satisfied it is no longer needed.[1] The court may also require the respondent to sign a bond, with or without sureties, that neither he nor his family will commit further violence, and may direct the local police to take steps to protect her.[1]

Return of property and stridhan

Section 15(7) lets the court order the respondent to return her immovable property, stridhan, wedding gifts, property acquired at marriage, movables, valuable documents and certificates.[1] A residence order does not, however, change ownership: section 15(2) preserves the respondent's title and interest in the house.[1] Claims to dower are separate and belong in the family court, as our guides to dower recovery and a wife's rights after divorce explain.

Compensation and maintenance orders

Section 16 lets a survivor claim compensation for physical, mental or economic harm or for damage to movable or immovable property, either with the main application or later by separate petition. The court must decide a compensation claim within six months of receiving it.[1]

How the amount is assessed

The court may appoint a person or organisation to assess the actual loss. At the hearing it must consider the nature and extent of the injury, suffering and physical and mental harm; medical costs; short- and long-term effects; the value of property removed, transferred, destroyed or damaged; and reasonable expenses already incurred by her or on her behalf because of the violence.[1] Receipts, prescriptions, repair bills and a simple schedule of losses are therefore worth gathering from the start.

Maintenance for the survivor and her children

The court may also order the respondent to pay adequate and reasonable maintenance for the survivor and her children, matched to the standard of living to which she is accustomed, as a lump sum or monthly.[1] This is interim protection within the domestic violence case; it does not replace a full maintenance claim in the family court, which our maintenance case guide covers.

Collecting the money

Compensation orders are sent to the police station where the respondent lives and, if he is employed by a government, private, semi-government or autonomous body, to his employer. If he fails to pay, the court may direct the employer to deduct a fixed share of his salary or other dues and pay it to her directly or into her bank account. Compensation is also recoverable as a public demand under the Public Demands Recovery Act 1913.[1] The enforcement officer is responsible for ensuring the order is obeyed.[1]

Temporary custody of children

Section 17 allows the court, at any stage and notwithstanding any other law, to place the survivor's child in her temporary safe custody or with another applicant acting for her. The order can specify whether, and how, the respondent may visit the child.[1]

The phrase "notwithstanding any other law" is important. It means a magistrate can keep a child with a mother for safety even where personal law would otherwise favour the father's guardianship. The order is temporary. Long-term custody and guardianship are decided by the family court on the welfare principle, explained in our guide to child custody and guardianship in Bangladesh. Where a child has been abused or is a witness in a criminal case, the protections in our guide to juvenile criminal law in Bangladesh also apply.

Hearing, timelines and appeal

Statutory deadlines

Every application other than a compensation claim must be decided within sixty working days of service of notice. If that is impossible, the court may take a further fifteen working days and then seven more, recording reasons and informing the appellate court in writing each time. After that, the court must report progress every seven days, and the appellate court may transfer the case to another court, which must give it priority.[1]

Privacy, inquiry and absent parties

Proceedings may be held in camera with the parties' consent or on the court's own initiative.[1] The court may order a local inquiry to establish the facts within a set time. If the respondent does not appear after notice, the court may decide the case ex parte and issue a warrant of arrest, which must be executed by the police.[1] If an application is dismissed because the applicant was absent, she may apply once, within thirty working days, to revive it from the stage at which it was dismissed.[1]

Appeal to the Chief Judicial Magistrate

Any party aggrieved by an order may appeal within thirty working days to the Chief Judicial Magistrate or, in a metropolitan area, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate. The appeal must be decided within sixty working days of filing and may not be transferred more than once without good reason.[1]

How practice measures up

Practice often falls short of these deadlines. A study reported by Prothom Alo found one Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Barishal had recorded a single case under the Act in ten years, and there is no national database of cases.[2] Domestic violence law Bangladesh provides works when the application is well prepared and filed by someone who knows the procedure.

Breach, false complaints and enforcement

Breach of a protection order

Under section 30, a respondent who breaches a protection order or any of its conditions commits an offence punishable with up to six months' imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 10,000, or both. A repeat breach carries up to two years' imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 1 lakh, or both.[1] Section 29 makes offences under the Act cognizable, bailable and compoundable.[1] Because the offence is cognizable, police can act without a warrant; because it is bailable, the respondent is usually released, which is why a breach should be reported immediately each time it happens.

Community service in place of a sentence

Section 31 lets the court, instead of punishing a breach, order the respondent to perform community welfare service for a set period, and direct that part of what he earns from that service be paid to the survivor, her children or her dependants.[1]

False applications

Section 32 punishes a person who files an application under the Act, knowing there is no lawful ground, with intent to harm another, with up to one year's imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 50,000, or both.[1] The provision targets deliberate fabrication, not a genuine complaint that a court later finds unproven. Respondents facing a fabricated case can find the defence options in our guide to false accusations in Bangladesh.

When domestic violence law Bangladesh meets the criminal law

Many survivors need both a protection order and a prosecution. Because domestic violence law Bangladesh treats the 2010 Act as additional to other laws, the two can run together: the magistrate's orders protect her now, while the criminal case punishes the offence.[1]

The Women and Children Repression Prevention Act after Act No. 85 of 2026

The Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 creates aggravated offences tried by special tribunals. It was amended by an ordinance in March 2025 and then by the Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Act 2026, Act No. 85 of 2026, with the amendments recorded as effective from 25 March 2025.[3] Section 11 punishes a husband, his parents, guardians, relatives or anyone acting for him who kills, attempts to kill, or causes grievous or simple hurt to a woman for dowry:

• causing death: death or rigorous imprisonment for life, and a fine;
• attempting to cause death: rigorous imprisonment for life or up to twelve years, and a fine, a clause added by Act No. 85 of 2026;
• grievous hurt: rigorous imprisonment for life, or five to twelve years, and a fine; and
• simple hurt under clause (c): rigorous imprisonment of two to five years and a fine, increased in 2026 from one to three years.[3]

New section 35 sends dowry-related simple hurt under section 11(c) to a Magistrate of the first class under the ordinary Code of Criminal Procedure and the Evidence Act 1872, as a cognizable, compoundable and non-bailable offence, while pending tribunal cases stay where they are.[3] Other tribunal offences must be tried within 180 working days of receipt, and rape cases within ninety working days of framing of charges.[3] The Act also punishes abetting a woman's suicide through a wilful act that outrages her dignity with five to ten years' rigorous imprisonment.[3]

Bail is tightly restricted for a principal accused: the complainant must be heard, and bail is refused where the tribunal believes there are reasonable grounds for conviction.[3] The bail strategy in serious cases is covered in our guide to bail in murder cases in Bangladesh. Equally, section 17 punishes a knowingly false case with up to seven years' rigorous imprisonment.[3]

The Dowry Prohibition Act 2018

Demanding dowry, and giving, taking or agreeing to dowry, are each punishable with one to five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 50,000, or both. Dower or mehr and ordinary wedding gifts are excluded from the definition. Every offence under the Act is cognizable, non-bailable and compoundable, and filing a knowingly baseless dowry case is itself punishable with up to five years or a Tk 50,000 fine.[4] A dowry demand accompanied by threats or deprivation is often also economic or psychological abuse under the 2010 Act, so a protection order can be sought on the same facts.

Penal Code offences

Assaults at home are crimes under the Penal Code 1860 like any others, including voluntarily causing hurt (section 323), hurt with a dangerous weapon (section 324), grievous hurt (section 325) and assault to outrage a woman's modesty (section 354). Remarrying during the lifetime of a spouse is an offence under section 494.[14] Criminal intimidation, wrongful confinement and abetment of suicide are also charged in domestic cases. Adult men abused at home, who fall outside the 2010 Act, rely on these provisions.

The marital rape exception

Section 375 of the Penal Code still exempts sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife unless she is under thirteen, and the repression law defines rape by reference to section 375.[5] [3] A married survivor of sexual violence is not without remedy: forced sex causing injury may be prosecuted as hurt or grievous hurt, and sexual abuse that harms her dignity is domestic violence under section 3 of the 2010 Act, supporting protection and residence orders.[1]

Support services for survivors

Domestic violence law Bangladesh works best when it is connected to rescue, medical care and shelter. A national network of services exists, most of it free, and the 2010 Act obliges police, hospitals and shelter homes to help a survivor who asks.[1]

National Helpline 109 and 999

The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs runs the 24-hour toll-free 109 helpline, which offers rescue, legal and psychosocial support, health referrals, child marriage prevention and guidance on cyber violence. The national emergency number 999 treats violence, harassment or stalking against women and children as emergencies, and a woman, child or someone reporting for them may call.[9] Awareness remains low: the 2024 Violence Against Women Survey found that only 12.3 per cent of women knew of the 109 helpline.[8]

One-Stop Crisis Centres and cells

One-Stop Crisis Centres at medical college hospitals provide health care, legal support, counselling, access to shelter and DNA testing under one roof. Reporting in November 2025 counted fourteen OCCs and sixty-seven one-stop crisis cells at district and upazila level, with plans to expand to thirty-seven medical college hospitals and ninety-five more cells.[9] A medical report from an OCC is strong evidence for both an interim protection order and a criminal case.

Victim Support Centres

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police Victim Support Centre opened on 17 February 2009 and offers counselling, medical help, legal assistance and guidance on access to justice, with an investigation unit and a quick response unit for rescues. It works with ten partner NGOs, and the police plan further centres in divisional cities.[10]

Legal aid: 16430 and district legal aid offices

The government legal aid helpline was launched on 28 April 2016 on the toll-free number 16430.[11] Official reporting in October 2026 gives the national toll-free legal aid helpline as 16699, so check the number listed by the legal aid directorate before relying on either.[12] District legal aid offices in all sixty-four districts help with physical, psychological, sexual and domestic abuse.[9] Eligibility and the application process are explained in our guide to legal aid in Bangladesh.

Mediation, compromise and safety

Bangladesh is pushing family disputes into mediation, and survivors need to know where that push stops. Since September 2025, the mandatory pre-case mediation regime under the legal aid law has covered family court claims and dowry complaints under sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act 2018. A proposal to include dowry-related simple hurt under section 11(c) of the repression law was removed at the 2025 launch after rights activists objected to making women negotiate with the accused before filing.[13] Check the current schedule before filing, because coverage has changed since.

In August 2026 the Chief Justice authorised the Supreme Court Legal Aid Office to mediate certain pending cases, including dowry offences, section 11(c) cases and listed Penal Code offences, free of charge, while excluding serious offences such as murder, rape and section 326 grievous hurt.[14] The rules on which offences can lawfully be compounded are set out in our guide to compromise in criminal cases in Bangladesh.

Mediation can resolve maintenance, dower and property questions, but no survivor should be pressed to negotiate face to face with an abuser or to withdraw a protection order while the risk remains. Ask for separate sessions and bring a support person. Where settlement is appropriate, our family mediation and settlement practice can structure it safely.

Step-by-step: a safety and legal plan

Every case is different, but the sequence below reflects how we prepare a domestic violence case for a survivor and her family.

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Two cautions apply throughout. Keep evidence somewhere the abuser cannot reach, such as with a trusted relative or in a separate email account, and do not delay reporting a breach, because each breach strengthens the case for stronger orders.

Choosing the right remedy

The table compares the main remedies available under domestic violence law Bangladesh and the related criminal and family laws. On a phone, scroll it sideways.

In most serious cases, the right answer is a combination: an interim protection order and residence order under the 2010 Act within days, a criminal case where there has been assault or a dowry demand, and a family court claim for dower, maintenance and custody. Sequencing matters, because statements made in one forum will be read in the others. Our Islamic family law practice advises on the family court side, and our cross-border family matters practice helps where a spouse or child is abroad.

Developments in domestic violence law Bangladesh, 2025 to 2026

The scale of the problem

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics' Violence Against Women Survey 2024 found that three in four women, 76 per cent, had experienced at least one form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime and 49 per cent in the past year. Some 62 per cent of survivors had never told anyone, and only 7.4 per cent had taken legal action.[8] Those figures explain why awareness of the 2010 Act matters as much as its drafting.

The Women's Affairs Reform Commission

In April 2025 the Women's Affairs Reform Commission submitted its report to the then Chief Adviser. Reported recommendations included criminalising marital rape, by removing the exception in section 375 of the Penal Code, and an optional uniform family law on marriage, divorce, inheritance and maintenance for all communities.[5] None of these proposals had been enacted by October 2026.

The Domestic Violence Prevention Ordinance 2026

On 29 January 2026 the interim government's Council of Advisers approved a Domestic Violence Prevention Ordinance 2026 intended to replace the 2010 Act, with a broader definition covering physical, psychological, sexual and economic abuse and support for shelter, medical care, legal aid and rehabilitation.[6] As at October 2026, however, the official Laws of Bangladesh database lists no such ordinance among the 2026 ordinances, and the 2010 Act remains listed as current law.[7] Unless and until Parliament enacts a replacement, domestic violence law Bangladesh courts apply is the 2010 Act and the Rules 2013.

Proposed changes to the Rules

Proposals to amend the Rules 2013 would let the upazila nirbahi officer, or the chief executive officer in a municipality or city corporation, designate additional enforcement officers, tighten their duties, put the forms on ministry websites and add domestic violence to the agenda of monthly local government meetings.[2] Track these, and any bill that revives the 2026 ordinance, before relying on the current framework.

What to do now

As the law stands, the priority is safety, then an interim protection order, then the longer claims. For advice on an application, a criminal complaint or a family court claim, contact TRW for a confidential consultation.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as domestic violence in Bangladesh?

Under section 3 of the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010, physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse and economic loss caused to a woman or child by a family member. Insults, threats, controlling her movement or contact, withholding money or necessities and taking her jewellery or property all qualify.[1]

Who can file a domestic violence case under the 2010 Act?

The woman or child herself, or on her behalf an enforcement officer, a service-provider NGO or any other person, under section 11.[1]

Which court hears domestic violence applications?

A Judicial Magistrate or, in a metropolitan area, a Metropolitan Magistrate, where she lives, where the respondent lives, where the violence happened or where she is temporarily staying.[1]

How quickly can I get a protection order?

The court must fix a hearing within seven working days and can grant an ex parte interim protection order on the papers if satisfied violence has occurred or is likely. Most applications must be decided within sixty working days of notice.[1]

Can the court remove my husband from the house?

Yes. A residence order can bar him from the part of the home where you live, and the court can order his temporary eviction where needed for your safety, or direct him to pay for alternative accommodation. It does not change who owns the house.[1]

What is the punishment for breaching a protection order?

Up to six months' imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 10,000, or both; for a repeat breach, up to two years, a fine of up to Tk 1 lakh, or both. The offence is cognizable, bailable and compoundable.[1]

Can I get compensation and maintenance in a domestic violence case?

Yes. Section 16 allows compensation for physical, mental and economic harm and property damage, decided within six months, and maintenance for you and your children, paid monthly or as a lump sum. Unpaid sums can be deducted from salary or recovered as a public demand.[1]

Can I keep my children with me during the case?

Yes. Section 17 lets the court place a child in your temporary safe custody notwithstanding any other law, and set terms for the respondent's visits. Permanent custody is decided by the family court.[1]

Is domestic violence a criminal offence in Bangladesh?

The 2010 Act does not create a general offence, but assault, dowry demands, dowry-related hurt and sexual offences are crimes under the Penal Code, the Dowry Prohibition Act 2018 and the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000, and can be prosecuted alongside a protection case.[3] [4]

Which helplines can a survivor call?

The 24-hour toll-free 109 helpline of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the 999 emergency number, and the government legal aid helpline, launched on 16430 and listed in 2026 reporting as 16699.[9] [11] [12]