Know Your Rights

Why know your rights

You have rights whether you are online or offline, at home, at university or at a police station. Knowing them helps you stand up for yourself and for others.

This page explains, in plain language, the rights most likely to matter to young people in Bangladesh, and where to go for help. It is general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, speak to a lawyer or call Government Legal Aid on 16699.

Your rights under the Constitution

Part III of the Constitution of Bangladesh sets out fundamental rights. The State cannot simply take them away. Some of the most important are:

• Equality

  Art. 27

  All citizens are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection of the law.

• No discrimination

  Art. 28

  The State must not discriminate on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Women have equal rights in all areas of public life.

• Protection of law

  Art. 31

  You may be treated only in accordance with law. No action harming your life, liberty, body, reputation or property is allowed except by law.

• Life and liberty

  Art. 32

  No one can be deprived of life or personal liberty except in accordance with law.

• Safeguards on arrest

  Art. 33

  You must be told why you are arrested, may consult a lawyer of your choice, and must be taken before a magistrate within 24 hours.

• Fair trial, no torture

  Art. 35

  No one can be forced to give evidence against themselves, or be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

• Thought and speech

  Art. 39

  Freedom of thought and conscience is guaranteed. Freedom of speech and of the press is guaranteed, subject to reasonable restrictions set by law.

• Home and privacy

  Art. 43

  You have the right to be secure in your home and to the privacy of your correspondence and other communications, subject to reasonable restrictions set by law.

• Going to court

  Art. 44

  If a fundamental right is breached, you can apply to the High Court Division of the Supreme Court to enforce it.

If you are arrested

Being arrested is frightening. Stay calm and remember that the Constitution protects you.

• Ask, politely, why you are being arrested. You have a right to be told the grounds as soon as possible.
• Ask to contact a family member and a lawyer of your choice.
• You must be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, not counting travel time. You should not be held longer without a magistrate’s order.
• Do not sign anything you have not read or do not understand.
• Torture and degrading treatment are forbidden. If you are hurt, tell the magistrate and ask for a medical check.
• If you are under 18, the Children Act 2013 gives you extra protection, including a right to legal representation and to be dealt with by a Children’s Court.

Right to Information

The Right to Information Act 2009 lets any citizen ask a public body, such as a ministry, city corporation or public university, for information it holds. Here is how.

1. Write your request Send a written or email request to the office’s Designated Officer (or its head, if none is named). Say clearly what information you want.
2. Wait up to 20 working days The officer should provide the information within 20 working days.
3. Appeal if refused If you get no answer or are refused, appeal to the Appellate Authority within 30 days.
4. Complain to the Information Commission If the appeal fails, complain to the Information Commission in Agargaon, Dhaka.

Free government legal aid

Under the Legal Aid Services Act 2000, the National Legal Aid Services Organisation (NLASO) gives free legal advice and, in many cases, a free lawyer to people who cannot afford one.

Help is aimed at people who are poor or vulnerable. Groups named over the years include people on low incomes, people with disabilities, women and children who are victims of trafficking or acid attacks, widows and abandoned women in hardship, and detainees who cannot pay for a lawyer. The income rules are updated from time to time, so ask when you call.

• Call the toll-free helpline 16699 for advice and to find out whether you qualify.
• Visit the District Legal Aid Office at the judge court in any of the 64 districts.
• For cases in the Supreme Court, there is a Supreme Court Legal Aid Office in Dhaka.

Protections for women and children

• Women and Children Repression Prevention Act

  2000

  Covers rape, sexual oppression and other serious crimes against women and children, tried in special tribunals. Amended by an ordinance in March 2025, which changed how rape cases are tried.

• Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act

  2010

  A woman or child facing violence at home can apply to a magistrate for an interim or full protection order, a residence order, compensation or custody. Breaking a protection order is an offence.

• Children Act

  2013

  Anyone under 18 is a child. Children in contact with the law, as suspects, victims or witnesses, must have legal representation and are dealt with by Children’s Courts. A child cannot be sentenced to death.

• Sexual harassment guidelines

  2009

  Directions from the High Court Division require workplaces and educational institutions to set up complaint committees of at least five members, most of them women.

For help, call 109 (violence against women and children), 1098 (Child Helpline) or 999 in an emergency.

Consumer rights and online shopping

The Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009 protects you when you buy goods or services, including from Facebook pages and online shops. Overcharging, selling fake or adulterated products, false advertising and not delivering what was promised can all be reported.

1. Keep proof Save the receipt, order page, chat, payment record and photos of what you received.
2. Complain within 30 days Send a written complaint, with your evidence, to the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) within 30 days of the problem.
3. Follow up If the seller is fined, the law allows the person who complained to receive a share (25%) of the fine collected.

Your data and privacy

Article 43 of the Constitution protects the privacy of your communications. In November 2025, the government issued the Personal Data Protection Ordinance 2025, Bangladesh’s first general law on how organisations collect and use personal data.

Its parts take effect in phases. Some sections come into force about 18 months after it was issued, so not every protection is in force yet. Meanwhile, the Cyber Security Act 2026 deals with online crimes such as blackmail, sextortion and fraud. See our Digital Safety guide for practical steps.