The document discusses the issue of dowry system in Bangladesh. It provides details on: 1) The origin and forms of dowry practices, including gifts/money given from bride's family to groom's family before or during marriage. 2) The social factors that contribute to the continuation of dowry system in Bangladesh such as ensuring bride's financial security, unemployment, and imbalance in gender ratios. 3) The negative consequences of dowry practices, including domestic violence, dowry deaths, and female feticide. Statistics from Bangladesh show rising number of dowry-related incidents over the years. 4) Efforts by the government to control dowry through laws and prevention campaigns, but the system

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SL Name ID
01.
Md.Shohanur Rahman 15309026
02.
Md.Aminul Haque 15309039
03.
Mahmud Hassan 15309010
Group member

3. Topic: Dowry system in
Bangladesh

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5. What is dowry?
• Includes gifts, money, good or property given from the
bride’s family to the groom in-law's before or anytime
during or after marriage, which occurs mostly in the
countries of Southeast Asia (Burn, 2011; Dowry Related
Violence’)
• Other terms associated with the exchange of wealth
during a marriage are bride price and dower
• Bride price refers to money that a groom would pay to his
bride's father in exchange for her hand in marriage
• Dower is a provision accorded by law, but traditionally by
a husband or his family, to a wife for her support in the
event that she should survive if she is a widow

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7. Origin of dowry
• In ancient times, a dowry was given to the groom
and his family in exchange for the bride as a way of
ensuring that she is properly taken care of
• For financial security in the case of widowhood, and
was thought to eventually provide for the couple's
future children as well AND
• If a woman died without having any sons, her
husband would have to return the dowry to the bride's
family, deducting the value of the bride price
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8. Forms of Violence against Women for Dowry
•Physical abuse
•Sexual abuse
•Verbal and emotional abuse
•Economic abuse

9. Bangladesh
In Bangladesh dowry called “Pawn or Joutuk”
• Like other South Asian countries, a serious growing
problem in Bangladesh as well.
• Laws prohibiting dowry in Bangladesh include
Dowry Prohibition Act, 1980; Dowry Prohibition
(Amendment) Ordinance, 1982; and Dowry
Prohibition (Amendment) Ordinance, 1986.)
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10. Dowry system in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a developing 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 bride’s 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 or valuable things to collect the money
for dowries. 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.12/3/2017 10

11. Dowry practice in rural Bangladesh
IN Bangladesh, dowry is a pattern of marriage
payments settled openly or discreetly mostly before
the wedding. The practice of the payment of dowry
during marriage has developed in the society
mainly in the 1970s. In course of time, this social
evil has become endemic which is seriously
affecting the lives of married women. In her well
written book titled “Crime or Custom? Dowry
Practice in Rural Bangladesh”, Shahan Nasrin, a
Sociologist at the University of Dhaka, has made an
attempt to address the reasons behind the
prevalent practice of dowry in Bangladesh.

12. Social Factor in dowry in Bangladesh
•Social Security
•Being separated or divorced
•UnemPeople Consider Dowry as a Customployment and
Poverty
•Imbalance Ratio of Men and Women
•Hyper gamy
•Dowry Enhances Women's Status
•Dower Is Considered As Pre-Mortem Inheritance

13. Factors Associated with Spousal Physical Violence
Against Women in Bangladesh
Using data from a population-based survey of 2,702 women of
reproductive age and from 28 in-depth interviews of abused
women conducted during 2000–01, this study explores factors
associated with domestic violence in urban and rural Bangladesh.
Multilevel analysis revealed that in both residential areas, dowry
or other demands in marriage and a history of abuse of the
husband's mother by his father increased the risk of violence.
Better spousal communication and husband's education beyond
the tenth grade decreased the risk of violence. In the urban area,
women's being younger than their husband and participating in
savings and credit groups increased the risk of abuse, whereas
husband's education beyond the sixth grade had a protective
effect. In the rural area, women's earning an income increased the
risk. These factors are important to consider when designing
interventions.

14. Causes of Dowry and Practices in Bangladesh
•Because of the Illiteracy, most the people are unaware of
the effect of dowry.
• Dependence on husband and living on their income, social
corruption and so on are the main causes of dowry.
• In a town, people think that giving dowry in a marriage
creating more status in society.
• In a village, most of the people think Dowry is their legal
right which has to pay the daughter’s family in a marriage.
• In a village, Poor parents consider any expenses for
educating a girl unproductive as she leaves their family after
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.

15. Religious perspective of dowry
Islam
• The mahr (dowry) is something that is paid by the
man to his wife
• It is paid to the wife and to her only as an honor and
a respect given to her and to show that he has a
serious desire to marry her.
• It is must thing to agree upon at the time of the
marriage contract.
• Taking money or gifts from the bride´s family is
strictly prohibited.12/3/2017 15

16. Hinduism
Dowry (Dahej/Hunda) is paid in cash or kind by the
bride's family to the groom' s family along with the
giving away of the bride (Kanya-dana)
•The ritual of Kanya-dana is an essential aspect in
Hindu marital rites: Kanya = daughter, dana = gift
• A reason for the origin of dowry could perhaps be
that the groom and his family had to take up the
'onerous' responsibility of supporting the bride for the
rest of her life
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17. Christianity
• Dowry is widely practiced by Christians, though
among the Christians of some regions it is not so
widespread
• It is a fine method of setting up an establishment for
the newlyweds
• Since the bride’s parents are quite choosy about the
groom, he should get a price
• A girl who brings a respectable dowry feels confident
while a girl without dowry feels uneasy
• Dowry is nothing but the share due to their daughter12/3/2017 17

18. Dowry’s consequences
•Domestic violence- physical torture, battering, marital
rape, acid throwing (Burn, 2011).
• Abetment to Suicide- Continuing abuse by the
husband and his family with threats of harm could lead
to a woman committing suicide .
•Dowry murder-(wife burning or dowry death) murder
committed by her husband and his family soon after
the marriage because of their dissatisfaction with the
dowry, mostly happens in India, Pakistan and
Bangladesh (‘Dowry related Violence’)
•Female feticide- killing innocent baby girls
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19. Bangladesh
• In 2014 dowry-related violence claimed 325 lives
and resulted in 7,079 incidents of dowry-harassment.
• This reflects only a fraction of crimes, many go
unreported
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20. Data statistic in Bangladesh
According to a report made by Bangladesh
Mahila Perished in 2004
Year Dowry incidents
1999 1690
2000 1974
2001 3149
2002 5792
2003 5618

21. Data statistic in Bangladesh
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Incidents
Incidents
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24. Country wise dowry related violence

25. Control of dowry system
• Pledging ourselves not to take dowry
•Spread the words of awareness in society
•Discourage the dowry infected marriages
•Be proud of your daughter
•Stop your greediness
•Aware people through education and training
•Use of media
•Say no to Dowry- Be a Man source
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26. Laws and Prevention of Dowry in Bangladesh
• Those taking or demanding a dowry face
imprisonment, a fine, or both. But the practice
continues. In some cases, the law is effective and in
some cases it is not. Mainly for lack of cooperation
from the family members, women do not get the
required support from the law
•Others blame the government. Of course there is a
law, but this law has been ineffective given the
dysfunctional nature of the country’s judicial system.

27. Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection)
Domestic violence:
•For the purpose of this Act, domestic violence means physical
abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse or economic abuse
against a woman or a child of a family by any other person of
that family with whom victim is, or has been, in family
relationship.
•Other steps against Dowry
The registration of marriage should be made compulsory.
• The women and their parents should refuse the men who
want dowry.
• Men and women should promise against the dowry
system.
• We should create a movement and strong public opinion
against the dowry system.

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29. Dowry’s advantage
• Helps newly married couple establish their family
•An ugly girl will get husband easily
•Supports the higher education of poor groom
•Raises the status of women in family
•Promotes the inter caste, inter religion and inter
state marriage
•Acts as provident fund
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30. Open for Discussion
• Dowry makes daughter safe in In law´s house? If
someone can afford, then why it is not good?
• Both Bride and Groom are partners for life, right? So
what if bride contributes a little as gifts or money to
Groom? It should not be obligatory, but what if just
ethically?
• Is there a need for Uniform Civil Code ( same law for
every citizen irrespective of religion)?
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31. Conclusion
Dowry-related violence is a common feature in
Bangladesh, affecting the lives of many women.
Other than specific acts of violence such as
killings, torture, the throwing of acid and the
like, dowry demands affect the lives of women
socially and culturally in a much deeper
manner (Young, and Hassan, 2016).
Fundamentally, they undermine the equality of
women and create culturally accepted forms of
discrimination against them.

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