Interpersonal Violence-Related Mortality in Bangladesh: Insights from a Nationwide Survey

Violence constitutes a critical global public health challenge, ranking as the fourth leading cause of death globally, with individuals aged 15–44 years being disproportionately affected. In Bangladesh, data on interpersonal violence mortality remains sparse. This study utilized a nationwide cross-sectional household survey conducted from March to June 2016, encompassing 70,000 households (299,216 individuals) from 16 randomly selected districts, employing multistage cluster sampling with a probability-proportional-to-size approach. Verbal autopsies were conducted to ascertain causes of death. The overall violence-related mortality rate was 4.0 per 100,000 population (95% CI: 2.3–7.0), with males exhibiting a significantly higher rate (7.3 per 100,000; 95% CI: 4.1–13.1). Mortality was highest among urban residents (5.7 per 100,000; 95% CI: 2.6–12.3) and transportation workers, with sharp-cutting objects accounting for 50% of deaths. Group riots or terrorist activities contributed to 58% of cases. Males were 11 times more likely to experience fatal violence compared to females. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted, evidence-based interventions to address urban violence, group riots, and associated injuries in Bangladesh.