51 Calls a Day! Rising Trend of Domestic Abuse by Husbands Signals SRHR Emergency
A locked room. A knife threat. A desperate call for help.
For many women in Bangladesh, violence is not a distant headline—it is a daily reality unfolding inside their own homes. And increasingly, those moments are reaching the national emergency hotline.
In 2025, an average of 51 women a day called the 999 emergency service reporting abuse by their husbands—a sharp rise from 31 daily calls in 2024 and 27 in 2023. The numbers tell a story that is both alarming and revealing: domestic violence is not only widespread, it is becoming more visible.
The case of a nurse in Gopalganj highlights the severity. After enduring years of abuse, she was assaulted, threatened with a knife, and locked in a room by her husband. It took an external call to 999 for police to intervene. In Dhaka’s Bhatara, another woman was beaten and thrown out of her home at night, rescued only after calling the same service.
These are not isolated incidents. In 2024 alone, 32,286 calls were made reporting violence against women, with nearly 58% linked to husbands. Early data from 2025 shows this proportion rising to 61%.
Officials argue that the surge reflects growing awareness and trust in emergency services. As one senior police official noted, “women are becoming more vocal against abuse and are seeking remedies by calling for help.” This shift is significant for the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) movement, where bodily autonomy and freedom from violence are fundamental.
Yet, the data also exposes a troubling gap. While calls are rising, legal action remains limited. According to Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), in 2025, 560 domestic violence incidents were reported in the media, but only 248 cases were filed. Many women hesitate to pursue justice due to fear of family breakdown, stigma, and lack of awareness about laws like the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2010.
This disconnect weakens the broader SRHR framework. Violence directly impacts women’s physical and mental health, limits reproductive autonomy, and reinforces unequal power dynamics within households. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, underscoring that Bangladesh’s crisis is part of a wider structural issue.
Experts stress that legal frameworks alone are not enough. As highlighted by rights activists, addressing domestic violence requires confronting deep-rooted social norms that normalize control and abuse within marriage. Without this, even the most progressive laws remain underused.
At one level, the rise in 999 calls signals progress, more women are speaking out. But at another, it reveals the scale of violence that persists behind closed doors.
Because calling for help is only the first step.
The real question is whether the system and society is ready to respond.
