At age 16, Prarthana, from a remote village in Chittagong, was forced by her impoverished parents to marry Biplob, a returnee overseas migrant. What she did not know was that he had acquired HIV during his stay abroad, although his parents and friends were aware. They had suggested that Biplob marry an underage girl to “get rid of” the HIV. Within a year, Prarthana and Biplob (all names changed to protect privacy) had a child. A few months thereafter, Biplob died of AIDS. Subsequently, both Prarthana and the baby were found to be HIV-positive.
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Although Bangladesh has attained remarkable success in increasing literacy rates for women, and decreasing the maternal and child mortality rate, violence against women is still very high in our society among which domestic violence is widely prevalent in both urban and rural areas as an every day matter of women lives.
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