The enactment was the outcome of a collaboration between the women s movement and government.
The act has several progressive provisions including protection orders for women, the right to reside in the marital home, temporary custody of children, and recovery of personal assets and assets acquired during the marriage.
Ten years have gone by since the enactment of the law, but the implementation is still very poor due to the lack of awareness among victims and key implementing agencies, rights activists say.
As a result, violence within the home remained almost a daily reality for a huge number of women and children in Bangladesh, irrespective of socioeconomic status and urban or rural settings.