Absence of Respect and Recognition of Victims in the Criminal Justice System in Bangladesh

This study explores how the victims of crime are treated in the criminal justice system of Bangladesh. Therefore, this study aims to learn victims’ access to justice, victims’ participation in criminal proceedings, victims’ rights and needs of protection and support services and to identify the ongoing victimization process and capacity gaps existing within the criminal justice system. As a matter of fact, in Bangladesh victims are often found utterly dissatisfied with the treatment of the current justice system as it does not ensure their due respect and recognition. The qualitative techniques are applied in this study. However, the prevailing legal provisions do not manifest victims’ respect and recognition. Supports of the criminal justice system to the victims are quite inadequate compared to the rights of the victims. Indeed, in Bangladesh victims have a limited legal right to access to the court proceedings. But, because of victims’ lack of awareness about those rights, unfair treatment towards them and the absence of the rules of law, victims cannot get full benefits even of those inadequate laws. Thus, victims undergo different challenges in all stages of the justice system which include reporting the case, investigation by the police, giving testimony, trail process, plea bargaining etc. Finally, a victim protection scheme should urgently be developed to provide the victims with a fearless environment for seeking justice, physical security, psychological assistance, reparation and rehabilitation etc, with a view to establishing the rights of the victims.