CONSTITUTION WATCHDOG RELEASES INAUGURAL REPORT ON VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN: 30 INCIDENTS RECORDED IN Q1 2026, HIGHLIGHTING A "CONSTITUTIONAL EMERGENCY"

DHAKA, BANGLADESH 2 April 2026 — Constitution Watchdog, an independent civil rights organization, has today released its inaugural quarterly report through its Violence Against Men Monitor. The comprehensive report documents thirty verified incidents of extreme violence against men and male minors across Bangladesh during the first quarter of 2026 (January - March).

Describing the findings as "a constitutional emergency in slow motion," the report exposes a critical blind spot in institutional discourse, legal frameworks, and media narratives regarding male victimization.

The publication provides a rigorous categorical analysis of incidents drawn from verified media reportage and legal proceedings, revealing an alarming escalation in violence throughout the quarter.

Key Statistical Findings from Q1 2026:

• Escalating Violence: The frequency of recorded incidents surged by 250% over the quarter, rising from 4 incidents in January, to 12 in February, and 14 in March.
• Child Protection Crisis: The sexual abuse of male minor children was the single largest category of violence, accounting for 10 incidents, or 33.3% of all recorded cases. The most common victim profile was a boy aged 8 to 9 years, typically targeted in madrasas or residential educational settings by perpetrators in positions of trust.
• Lethal Intimate Partner Violence: 7 men (23.3% of incidents) lost their lives at the hands of intimate partners or associates.
• Physical Mutilation: 6 men (20.0%) were subjected to emasculation or severe physical mutilation, with intimate partners being the primary perpetrators in all documented cases.
• Organized Extortion: 6 incidents (20.0%) involved organized "honey trap" operations utilizing sexual entrapment for blackmail, robbery, and severe financial extortion.

Systemic Institutional Failures Exposed

Beyond the raw metrics, the report highlights a profound failure in the State's institutional machinery. In cases of lethal intimate partner violence, the report notes a 43% non-apprehension rate as of the reporting date, with a recurring pattern of spousal perpetrators fleeing the scene of the crime and remaining fugitives.

Furthermore, the document condemns the handling of child sexual abuse cases, noting that incidents are being illegally resolved through informal community arbitration (Salish) or entirely failing to generate formal legal complaints due to systemic intimidation. The recurrence of teacher-perpetrated abuse indicates a near-total absence of mandatory child safeguarding frameworks in madrasas and residential schools.

"A society that criminalises violence selectively, or acknowledges suffering only within gendered frameworks that exclude half the population, fails its constitutional obligations," the report states.

Urgent Recommendations

Constitution Watchdog is urgently calling upon the Government, Parliament, and law enforcement to enact the following immediate reforms:

• Passage of a comprehensive, gender-neutral Domestic Violence Prevention Act to explicitly recognize and protect male victims.
• Enactment of a gender-neutral Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Act.
• Introduction of mandatory child safeguarding standards for all madrasa institutions and residential schools.
• Establishment of a mandatory, publicly accessible National Registry of Violence Against Men.
• Development of a specialized Spousal Perpetrator Fugitive Protocol by the Bangladesh Police to address the high rate of fleeing perpetrators.

To access the full Q1 2026 report (Report Classification: VAM-QR-2026-Q1), please refer to the official Constitution Watchdog repository at https://constitutionwatchdog.org/violence-against-men-monitor/.