This document discusses dowry practices in Bangladeshi culture. It defines dowry as money or property that a bride's family pays to the groom's family during marriage. Poverty, illiteracy, narrow mentalities, and women's dependency are cited as causes for the continuation of dowry. While still existing, dowry today functions more as a bargaining tool, with demands increasing based on a groom's education level. Negative effects include disputes leading to violence and abuse of brides, difficulty finding suitable matches without dowry, and sending brides back to their family if demands aren't met. Steps suggested to address dowry include refusing demands, public opinion campaigns, compulsory marriage registration, changing mindsets, practicing non-dow