- Locations: Bangladesh
- Resource type: Research
- Themes: Discrimination, Experiences of criminal justice
- Published: 5 June 2026
This report examines the role and effectiveness of legal representation in death penalty cases in Bangladesh, a jurisdiction that continues to expand the use of capital punishment and where more than 2,600 people currently live under sentence of death.
Drawing on empirical data and legal analysis, the study finds that individuals facing capital charges are routinely denied effective and competent legal representation at trial and on appeal – an essential safeguard in death penalty proceedings. It makes a compelling case for urgent legal and policy reform, concluding that Bangladesh’s justice system is systematically compromised, particularly for poor and marginalised defendants. These failures result in prolonged delays, unsafe convictions and unequal access to justice, in violation of constitutional guarantees and international human rights law.
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