We Must Speak Up Against Marital Rape: According to BBS, 27.3% of Women Were Forced into Sex by Their Husbands

In Bangladesh, the law says a husband cannot rape his wife unless she is under 14. This outdated and harmful exception legalises sexual violence inside marriage—one of the most hidden yet common forms of gender-based abuse.

Marital rape, the forced sexual intercourse by a husband without the wife’s consent, is still not recognised as a crime in Bangladesh. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), 27.3% of women have said they were forced to have sex by their husbands—clearly against their will.

Yet, these cases rarely come to light. Why not? Because under current law, they’re not even considered “rape.”

The Silence is Built into the Law

The legal age of adulthood in Bangladesh is 16. According to the United Nations, it’s 18. But under Section 375 of the Penal Code, a girl under 14 is the only exception for marital rape to be considered a crime. This leaves married girls between 14 and 18 in legal limbo—children by law, but still unprotected from forced sex within marriage.

The case of Nurunnahar, a 14-year-old child bride who died due to forced sex by her husband, revealed the absurdity of the law. Yet, she was not considered a rape victim—because her rapist was her husband.

Culture of Silence, Stigma, and Ownership

A 2019 BRAC survey found that only 4% of people in Bangladesh believe that a wife can be raped by her husband. The rest view a wife’s body as her husband’s “right”—to be used at will.

This belief is deadly.

“She thinks she goes to sleep with a rapist,” said Dr. David Finkler, a global expert on marital rape.

During COVID-19 lockdowns, research by Manusher Jonno Foundation revealed that refusal to have sex was one of the leading triggers of domestic violence. World Vision, an NGO, also reported how difficult it was to even explain to rural families what marital rape means.*

The Real Cost of Marital Rape

Women are forced into sex during menstruation, pregnancy, illness, and even post-surgery. The trauma is not just physical—it scars the mind and soul. Yet, under our laws, there is no crime, no punishment, and no justice.

Pakistan criminalised marital rape in 2006. The UK repealed its marital rape exemption in 1991. Bangladesh, however, still holds on to this British-era clause, keeping women trapped in silence.

What Needs to Change?

• Amend the Penal Code: Remove the marital rape exemption clause.

• SRHR Education: Teach that consent matters—even in marriage.

• Public Campaigns: Break the stigma around speaking out.

• Survivor Services: Mental health support, legal aid, and community protection must be made accessible.

Until we speak up, nothing will change. Silence protects the rapist, not the marriage. It’s time Bangladesh treated all rape—regardless of relationship status—as rape.

Source: Prothom Alo
Source Contributor: Shahana Huda Ranjana