A Legislative Failure in Practice
Despite the enactment of the Dowry Prohibition Act in 2018, the practice of dowry continues to fuel domestic violence and poverty across Bangladesh. While the legislation explicitly criminalizes the demand for dowry—with penalties ranging from one to five years in prison—the tradition has evolved. Financial demands are now frequently masked as “gifts” or “family contributions” to circumvent legal scrutiny.
The Scale of Intimate Partner Violence
Research published in Development and Change in 2024 exposes the deep-seated nature of these demands. In a study of 206 cases involving marital disputes, 52 percent of the complainants cited ongoing dowry demands. More alarmingly, 81 percent of those instances were accompanied by physical violence. Data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and the UNFPA’s 2024 Violence Against Women Survey further underscores the scope of the issue, reporting that 76 percent of ever-married women in Bangladesh have experienced some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
Rising Tolls in 2025
The human toll remains high. According to figures from the European Union Agency for Asylum, based on monitoring by the human rights organization Ain o Salish Kendra, there were 77 reported incidents of dowry-related violence in 2024, resulting in 36 deaths and seven reported suicides. In the first half of 2025 alone, 45 incidents were recorded, with 23 women dying from violence attributed to these disputes. Experts note that these figures likely represent only a fraction of total cases, as 62 percent of survivors never disclose their experiences to authorities.
Economic Ruin and Child Marriage
The transition from law to social reality remains the primary obstacle. For low-income households, the pressure to provide dowry often leads to the liquidation of land, livestock, and savings, frequently pushing families into cycles of debt. In some instances, this financial strain incentivizes child marriage, as families attempt to mitigate the rising costs of dowry associated with a daughter’s age.
Lessons from Regional Precedents
Bangladesh’s experience mirrors challenges seen in India, where, despite stringent laws like Section 304B of the penal code—which addresses “dowry deaths”—official data still recorded 6,156 such cases in 2023. This comparison suggests that criminalization alone is insufficient without thorough investigation, consistent prosecution, and the provision of social safety nets.
The Unresolved State Responsibility
Critics argue that law enforcement must shift its perspective, treating dowry complaints as serious criminal matters rather than private family disputes. An urgent call has been made for impartial investigations into the suspicious deaths of married women, which currently are often dismissed or categorized as suicides. Whether the state will implement more effective survivor protections, such as accessible legal aid and emergency housing to allow women to leave abusive environments, remains an unresolved question.
