Three in four women (76%) in the country suffer abuse of different forms by her husband at least once during her lifetime, according to a new survey by BBS and UNFPA.

Nearly 49% of the victims have experienced such violence in the past year.

The abuses can be sexual, physical, mental, financial and dominating attitude, said experts when unveiling the study findings at the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre, Agargaon in the capital on Monday.

Worryingly, 62% of the victims never revealed their sufferings, the survey has found. The survey also reveals improvement in treatment of wives: physical abuses and sexual violence by husbands fell by 17% since 2015.

The results also show that 15% of women have experienced physical violence from someone other than a husband since the age of 15. More than 2% have been victims of sexual violence.

Among the incidents of physical violence by non-husbands, mothers-in-law and male relatives are most commonly involved. On the other hand, most incidents of sexual violence by non-husbands have been committed by individuals known to the women—such as male relatives, friends, and acquaintances.

In addition, 8.3% of women have experienced specific types of gender-based violence facilitated by technology, such as sexual blackmail, misuse of images, and controlling behaviors.

The rate of seeking services is alarmingly low, with only 14.5% of women who experienced violence seeking medical care.

Among women who experienced violence from their husbands, only 7.4% took legal action, and in most of these cases, they sought help from local leaders. In contrast, among women who experienced violence by non-husbands, only 3.8% took legal action, and they mostly sought legal assistance from the police.