Asia
Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Penal Code text reviewed has no general offense of failing to help a stranger. Documents reviewed show a statutory basis for a government-run volunteer program in disaster management, a long-running Cyclone Preparedness Programme that relies on volunteers, and a registration regime for NGOs receiving foreign funds for voluntary or charitable work.
Is there a legal duty to help a stranger?
No general duty foundNo provision imposing a general duty to rescue or aid a stranger was found in the Penal Code, 1860 as published on the Bangladesh Laws portal. Sections 32 and 33 treat illegal omissions as acts, and the omission provisions found (sections 187 and 202) concern assisting a public servant or giving information of an offense that a person is legally bound to give.
Are people who help protected?
LimitedNo Good Samaritan statute for bystanders was found. Penal Code section 92 provides that an act done in good faith for the benefit of a person is not an offense by reason of harm caused, where consent cannot be obtained, subject to provisos (it excludes intentionally causing death, among others). Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act 2012 bars criminal or civil proceedings against the government, government employees, and councils, committees or groups formed under the Act for good-faith, non-negligent tasks; whether it reaches individual volunteers is not stated in the text reviewed.
How the government promotes giving and service
Ways to give and volunteer
Bangladesh has a large civil society, and foreign-funded charitable work is regulated by the government, so legal channels matter. Rely on the Red Crescent and official programs for disaster response.
Check a charity before you give
The government office that registers and approves NGOs receiving foreign funds; its site lists registered NGOs, though many pages are in Bengali, and there is no single public registry covering every domestic charity.
Give your time
Give money, blood or a donation
In an emergency or a crisis
Before you act
- Foreign donations to NGOs in Bangladesh need approval from the NGO Affairs Bureau, so a foreign visitor or resident should not set up or fund a group outside these rules.
- Ask any group for its registration with the NGOAB or the Department of Social Services and check it, and avoid giving cash to individuals who approach you with unverified appeals.
- Foreign volunteers should arrange work only through a registered host organization and check visa rules first.
This list does not cover local mosque-based or village committees, or private groups that are outside the government's registration lists. Checked 2026-10-28. Listing an organization is not an endorsement, and none of them has endorsed this site. Some official sites block automatic checks, so a link may need a second try.
One thing worth knowing
Disaster volunteering has a statutory footing: section 13 of the Disaster Management Act 2012 authorizes a national disaster volunteer organization, and the CPP portal publicly lists volunteer awards.
What this does not mean
The research brief mentioned National Volunteer Service programs and domestic charity law; no primary source for either was fetched, so they are not described. The Disaster Management Act text is an English version from FAOLEX that may be a translation, and the FDVA copy is hosted by a third party. This is not legal advice. This is a plain-language summary of public sources, not legal advice, and it does not rank countries. No government named here has endorsed this site. Not reviewed by a lawyer. Statutes were read in public sources and may have changed. Last checked October 26, 2026.