Introduction:

Bangladesh is a development country. In this country there are many kinds of

unpleasant customs. Dowry is the most common unpleasant custom of
those. It creates many problems. It is against the success of our country. It is
a much unexpected situation for the brides family members. They are to
collect a huge amount of money for their daughters or sisters marriage.
Sometime they are to take loan, sell their lands, furniture, ornaments and
even their own house to collect the money. They are to lose many things and
face many problems for this dowry system. There are numerous evidences
that the practice of dowry can have consequences that can be harmful and
sometimes lethal for women.

Dowry system:
Dowry system is one of the worst evil cultures in this society. A dowry is a gift
of money or valuables given by the brides family to the bride groom at the
time of their marriage. Often the parents of the daughter are willing to
provide large sum of money and expensive goods to make the future of their
daughter a pleasant and secure one. In solvent families the family of the
groom expects that the parents of the bride will willingly gifts the new couple
with expensive goods which they can show off as a symbol of prestige and
wealth. In all cases the lives of the young brides are at stake. They have to
live in a hostile environment where they become the victims of physical,
social, mental and psychological torture.
Bangladesh suffers from some evil culture and superstitions. Dowry system is
one of the worst evil cultures in this society. It has been an ancient and
widespread practice. This bad culture is found and practiced more or less in
communities of the country. In some cases, parents borrow money on
exorbitant rate of interest to marry their daughters and sisters and spend
rest of their life in great misery. Every year many young women commit
suicide or face physical torture after marriage because their parents cannot
afford to give dowry. Day by day, marriage has become a kind of business
and exploitation of the parents of a girl.

Dowry in Islam:
The practice of "mahr" in Islam is often called a dowry, but mahr is actually
the opposite practice. A mahr is a gift of money or possessions from the
groom to the bride upon marriage. Mahr is mandatory and must be of
enough value for the bride to survive on her own in case of divorce or

widowhood.Mahr is very different from most dowry systems because the wife
retains ownership of the gift, and can use or spend it however

Causes of Dowry System:

Poverty:
Poverty is the main causes behind dowry because most ofthe people in
Bangladeshi are poor. They often take dowry toreduce their Poverty.

Lack of Literacy:

Most the people are unaware ofeffect of dowry.

Narrow mentality:
Narrow mentality is also responsible behind the dowry system.

Lack of education:
Lack of womens Education in Families is the reason forgiving dowry.In a village,
Poor parents consider any expenses for educating a girl unproductive as she leaves
their family after marriage.

Lack o power:
Lack of decision making power of womens in familybecause in Bangladesh families
are ruled by father. Because ofthat the position of woman in a family is much
disagreed.

Dependency on Male:

Women are less independent then men. In Bangladesh, mostof the women are
housewives and have less economic power tocontrol the family. Because of
dependency women become aburden in a family.

Some time bridegroom wants money to do business or want

to make his life settle with that money.
In a town, people think that giving dowry in a marriage
creating more status in society.
Women spend a good life in husbands house if dowry
paid in marriage.
In a village, most of the people think Dowry is their legal
right which has to pay the daughters family in a marriage.
In the village if brides are not beautiful to look at or if they
get late married then they are to give a lot of money as dowry to
the bridegroom.
The giving of a dower seems to be an established
Bangladeshi cultural institution. The wife is expected to bring
suitable gifts (monetary or otherwise) with her to her new home or
shoshurbari.
Dependence on husband and living on their income, social
corruption and so on are the main causes of dowry.

The negative impacts of Dowry System:

Disputes over dowry payments have led to numerous cases of dowry violence
against brides, resulting in injuries and evendeath.There are many severe
consequences resulting from the payment of dowries.

Verbal and physical abuse:

Failure to meet the dowry demands or the new demands often results in verbal and
physical abuse of the wife. Physical abuse includes beating; burning with cigarettes,
withholding foods, sleep deprivation and denial of medical treatment. The abuse
may be meted out by the husband or members of his family, especially his mother.
Verbal abuse may include starting rumors about the character or behavior of the
wife and often the girls feel unable to disclose the situation to her parents. If the
physical abuse continues and worsens, this may lead to the wife committing
suicide.

Sending the girl or woman back to her parents:

A common result of unmet sending the girl or woman back to her parent is sending
the girl or woman back to her parents house. When this happens everyone
considers that it must be the fault of the girl or woman saying such things as:
o
o

She could not adapt to her husband

She cannot look after her husband properly.

So, once again both the girl and her parents suffer from rumors and criticism. This
also affects the reputation of the younger sisters. Apart from the social stigma
attached to the girls being returned to live with her parents there are other
problems. Her brothers and their wives may resent her presence, particularly if she
has brought children with her. She is seen as a drain on the household resources
and may be verbally, and even physically, abused by her own family. Dowry-related
violence is particularly problematic in Bangladesh.

Parents become beggars:

In many poor family, it is seen that the parents losing their self-respect, they are
begging mosque to mosque, shop to shop and even door to door only to meet the
demand of their son-in-low. Dowry system is only responsible forthis.

Women become mentally affected:

As the dowry system dominated our Islamic community, the women become
mentally affected. So the mentally affected women are staying in asylums and
Darghas like Ervadi, Nagoor etc. The spinsters are being affected mentally by
looking the girls of same age group who enjoying the marriage-life. This is because
they become mentally affected. So we have to give up demanding dowry as
material and financial.

Divorce:

The dowry system actually encourages divorce, infidelity, and polygamy in the
society.Number of broken family are increasing day by day. It is also affecting on the
new generation. They cannot give attention in their education; can not contribute in
any development activities. It hampers their mental development.

Suicide:
Neither the poor people to marry their daughters nor they abstain them at home.
Also their age is passing day by day. To avoid the calamity and sadness, they suicide
themselves. We frequently see, read or hear like this News.

Makes the woman negotiable commodity:

The system degrades the woman to the status of a commodity being sold and
bought.It makes marriage to become primarily an economic relationship in which
the choice of a wife depends on one's ability to pay rather than on mutual respect
and love between bridegroom and bride. It also destroys mutual love and respect
in the relationships between the two families.

Islamic women in dance club:

Our Islamic women are dancing in the star hotels, night clubs and other places to
earn their livelihood and to enjoy their life as if they like. The root cause of this
state, the dowry system dominated among the Islamic community. Nevertheless,
the Islamic youngsters are claiming dowry instead of giving Mahar as per Islamic
rule.

The youngsters in abroad:

Why the Islamic youngsters are going for abroad? They did not leave for abroad to
earn their livelihood for their own-self. But they are toiling there to earn for their
daughters or sisters marriage. They are working hard in the foreign countries
irrespectively day or night and rain or sunlight. And they are passing their days in
the deserts and mist surrounded places. So each and every parent who have
blessed by sons, must take an oath that we will never claim dowry for our sons and
we will give Mahar to bride when we marry our sons.

 Working Islamic girls:

Our Islamic girls are working hard in factories, shops, textiles and other offices.
They get tortured in their working places. Bearing all kind of tortures, they are
working there. Why they are working hard transgressing the Islamic rules? Because
of, they should give dowry to whom they will get married.

Commands of Allah:
Almighty Allah has commanded in the Holy Quran to bestow Mahar. But we are
doing against the command of Allah. Demanding the dowry as financial or household things or any other type of demands is strictly prohibited in Islam.

Possible solutions of dowry system:

Women's fight:
Women should unitedly fight against this evil system.They should know their rights,
privileges and strengths. They should stop thinking in terms of weaker sex. Women
commission and all the different women forums should find out such causes of
dowry system and punish those greedy guardians who encourage this system.They
should stand on their own feet and fight for their rights.

Social Awareness:
Dowry system is against the law of equality of men and women. It is a crime to give
and take dowry. But these are openly violated. There are thousands of cases of
dowry every year few offenders are actually punished. It shows that laws alone are
not enough. Besides laws, we need more social awareness and effective social
measures.

Increasing Literacy:
The percentage of literacy among girls and women is very low. This rate should be
increased. More schools, colleges and training institution for women should be
opened. There should be free education for women up to the university level.

Spread of literacy and education among women can prove a great weapon against
dowry.

Public Movement:
We should create a movement and strong public opinion against the system. The
movement should be taken to villages and every nook and corner of the country.
More leaders, social groups, men and women should be involved in the movement
against the evil. People who practice dowry system should be socially boycotted.
Women organizations should hold demonstrations against such people.

Women Empowerment:
More and more women should be encouraged to take employment and become
economically independent.

Other Preventive measures:

The registration of marriage should be made compulsory.
Start practicing dowry prohibition in your family.
Encourage women folk to raise their voice about their rightsand to fight
against dowry system.
The women and their parents should refuse the men whowant dowry.
Men and women should promise against the dowry system.
NGOs should be involved in themovement against the course.
People who practice dowry system should be sociallyboycotted.
To stop this we should telecast the bad effects of dowry inmass media.
To ensure the legal action against dowry.
The young men should frankly reject the demand for dowry from their
parents.
We should change our outlook, mentality by our Law rules.
Narrow mentality of the greedy people should be changed and a hard
punishment should be given to them.

If we ensure these steps, we can stop dowry in our country.

Remedial measures:

To stop women oppression through dowry system is the prime job of all conscious
people now. To tackle dowry system and women oppression application of law is
very important. In our country, two laws are existing at present, such as: Dowry
Prohibition Act, 1980 and the Cruelty to Women Deterrent Punishment Ordinance,
1983. In these laws there are strict provisions of punishment for handing and taking
of dowries, women oppression and women trafficking. So impartial judicial measures
are to be taken in all spheres.

Besides, social campaign, protest and prevention programmes of different public

and private organizations should be launched urgently against dowry system. The
need for women education and employment of educated women should be
stressed. After all, poverty alleviation and drive against ignorance and prejudices
are the preconditions of fight against dowry system.

Conclusion:
To save women from the curse of dowry system is a burning issue. Women should
be given due right and social status by removing the inhuman convention of dowry.
For this man and woman of all walks of life along with women movement should
come forward. So long as the very social disease like dowry system is not abolished,
our women will not enjoy due feminine rights. Anti-dowry campaign should be
started and people should be made aware of the evils of dowry.