Launch of new report on death row prisoners in Bangladesh

On 17 June, DPRU partner organisation The Death Penalty Project published a new report on the death penalty in Bangladesh, in collaboration with the University of Dhaka and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST).

The report, titled Living Under Sentence of Death, maps the socio-economic profiles of a sample of death sentenced prisoners in the country and the progress of their cases, drawing on qualitative evidence of their experiences of, and opinions on, the criminal justice process.

The report found evidence that the death penalty in Bangladesh is disproportionately used against the most vulnerable and marginalised sections of society, with the majority of those on death row classified as economically vulnerable, in low-paid work or unemployed, and/or lacking in educational qualifications beyond secondary school level. The findings also raised serious concerns around the treatment of prisoners, the length of time spent in prison under sentence of death, and the integrity of the criminal investigation and trial processes.

DPRU Director Professor Carolyn Hoyle contributed the foreword for the report, and also spoke at its launch event, which was held online. The launch of the report was covered by a number of Bangladeshi media outlets, including the following articles:

Media coverage in Bengali was featured in The Prothom Alo, The Daily Samakal and BenarNews.

An overview of the report’s findings can be found on The Death Penalty Project’s website. The full online version of the report is available here.

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Death Penalty Research Unit