DHAKA, Sept 2, 2020 (BSS)- With dowry making women exchangeable commodities, womanhood to be more precise motherhood is despicably dishonoured and educated and self-dignified persons are afflicted to think that this social evil simply does not go with healthy social development.
Dowry, one of the deep-rooted social evils, is flourishing in our society at an unprecedented rate. Though modern citizens condemn it, yet this practice varies according to the region, caste, and creed. This evil is silently claiming the lives of innocent married women as dowry deaths are relatively higher in developing and underdeveloped economies, including Bangladesh.
In spite of laws prohibiting the practice of dowry, not much has changed over the decades in the country.
Despite efforts on the part of the government, social activists and feminists organisations, this ill has increased, resulting in an unprecedented amount of mortality and morbidity among women in the country.
The dowry is linked to deep-rooted social norm and is considered as a social practice that perpetuates oppression, torture and murder of women in the country. The practice of dowry is an expected part of marriage and in cultures where arranged marriages are the norm.
A police report on the Muna Akter murder case, which was submitted on April 22 last year to the court, said Muna was married off to Parvej of Hazaribagh area about eight months ago. Parvej started giving pressure on Muna for giving him Taka four lakh as dowry after their marriage. On the day of incident, Muna was hit with pipe of iron and later she died due to shortness of breath.
In another incident, sixty-one-year-old Rasul Haque filed a murder case against his son-in-law Maruf Mian and four others last year. In the case, he alleged that Maruf, his mother, two brothers and a brother-in-law killed his daughter Mohua Akther, 29, for dowry.
As per the case, Mohua’s husband demanded Taka seven lakh from his father-in-law for doing business. Showing her disagreement with Maruf over the issue, Mohua told her husband that her father had no ability to give such huge money as he was a retired person from a company.
Rasul said Maruf demanded the money repeatedly and tortured her daughter almost every day. Maruf’s mother and other family members also joined him in torturing her. As ill luck would have it, Mohua failed to save her life falling prey to the wrath of her husband’s family and finally was killed by them.
He said Mohua was married off to Maruf just only three years ago. After six-months of marriage, Maruf started demanding money, and he mounted pressure on Mahua for dowry, he added.
He said they gave Maruf Taka two lakh at the time of the marriage. That did not quench his unlimited greed for money. Only after six-months, Maruf started demanding money from his father-in-law and to realise the amount he started torturing Mahua. On the day of murder, Maruf kicked on Mohua’s belly and she became senseless. About three hours of the incident, they took her to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared her dead. But, Maruf misinformed Rasul saying that Mohua died of stroke.
Not only Mohua, a number of women were killed during the last couple of years for dowry.
Sources said, as per the registrar of courts, a total of 374 dowry-related murder cases were filed in the last 17 years. Besides, 14 women were killed for dowry in Dhaka city in the last year.
Lawyer of One-Stop Crisis Center (OCC) of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital Fahmida Akter said many women, who are victimized for dowry, have been taking treatment from OCC.
As per the registrar of courts, 27 women were killed in 2016, while 25 women in 2015, 22 women in 2014, 30 women in 2013, 25 women in 2012, 26 women in 2011 and 15 women in 2010 for dowry. But, the number of settling the dowry-related cases is poor.
National Women Lawyer Association former executive director demanded to expedite trials of the dowry-related cases after thorough investigation. She also demanded to inflict exemplary punishment to those who would be involved in dowry.
Bangladesh’s Constitution grants equal rights to women but our patriarchal society has failed to stop seeing them more than a personal possession. Creating social awareness among the masses should be the first step in the fight to eradicate this social evil. Media, in this regard, can play a proactive role.
Above everything our conscience needs to be fully awakened to the evils of the dowry system. Taking into account the far-reaching consequences, it is the need of the hour to stand up against this social evil.