Last Change:
05/09/2025
The Prevention of Oppression Against Women and Children Act
Year: 2000
Type: Domestic policy
Rights Category: Freedom of movement, Liberty & security of person, Social protection
Description
The Prevention of Opression against Women and Children Act 2000 was formulated to protect women and children from heinous crimes such as rape, dowry, grievous injury. The Act makes provision for the punishment of sexual abuse and sexual harassment. The law also has put restrictions on the media so that the victims' privacy is protected. The introduction of the concept of the safe custody is one of the most important features of the law. This act introduced capital punishment in cases of rape, and grievous injuries.
This Act contains no indication of jurisdiction and therefore refugee women and children (defined in this Act as any person under 14 years of age) victims of the following crimes in Bangladesh are covered by this Act:
- attacks with flammable, corrosive, caustic or poisonous substances;
- trafficking of women and/or children;
- kidnapping of women and/or children;
- taking ransom;
- rape or death in consequence of rape;
- sexual oppression;
- causing death for dowry;
- impairing any limb of a child for the purpose of begging.
Selected provisions
Definition: Unless different intention appears from the subject or context, in this Act-
a) ‘Offence’ means any offence punishable under this Act.
b) ‘Abduction’ means taking a person away by force or by inducement or by instigation or by misrepresentation or by coersion from one place to another.
c) ‘Detention’ means confining a person against his/her will.
d) ‘Tribunal’ means any tribunal established under this Act.
e) ‘Rape’ means rape stated under section 375 of the Penal Code 1860 (Act XLV of 1860) subject to section 9 under this Act;
f) ‘New born baby’ means any baby which is below the age of forty days;
g) ‘Woman’ means a woman of any age;
h) ‘Ransom’ means financial facility or any other facility;
i) ‘Criminal Procedure’ means the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 (Act V of 1898);
j) ‘Dowry’ means money, goods or any property which has been given or agreed to give to the bride-groom or his father or mother or any person on his behalf, directly or indirectly, at the time of marriage or before marriage at any time after marriage in condition with the smooth continuation of marital life or as a consideration given by the side of the bride and the money, goods or property which has been demanded from the bride or her father or mother or any person on her behalf, by the bride-groom or his father or mother or ay other person on his behalf as the above mentioned condition or consideration.
k) ‘Child’ means any person under fourteen years of age;
l) ‘High Court division’ means the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.
All offences punishable under this Act shall also be cognizable. All offences under this Act shall be non-bailable. Subject to other provision under this Act no accused o punishable person shall be released on bail, if-
a) the complainant does not get the opportunity for hearing on the application to release him; and
b) the Tribunal is satisfied as such, considering the complaint, that there is sufficient ground for to be convicted, or
c) the person is , a woman or a child or physically disabled and the Tribunal is not satisfied that justice will not be impeded if he is not released on bail.