Islamic fundamentalist militants often harass journalists and try to disrupt cultural events. Rape, dowry-related assaults, acid throwing, and other violence against women occur frequently with minimal police intervention in this heavily patriarchal society. A law requiring rape victims to file police reports and obtain medical certificates within 24 hours of the crime in order to press charges prevents most rape cases from reaching the courts. Police also accept bribes not to register cases and rarely enforce existing laws protecting women. In rural areas religious leaders occasionally arbitrarily impose floggings and other punishments on women accused of violating strict moral codes.
Women face discrimination in health care, education, and employment.
Under customary laws of the minority Hindu community, women have no legal right to divorce or inheritance. Muslim women in theory enjoy greater formal legal protection in family matters, but these laws are routinely flouted. In November 1999, the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association released a survey suggesting that organized groups traffic nearly 25,000 Bangladeshi women and children each year into neighboring countries and the Middle East. Most of the women end up in brothels while the children are used for labor. Local authorities rarely investigate trafficking and are often complicit in these crimes.