Family Law
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Sexual Harassment at Work and Educational Institutions: Rights and Complaint Procedure
The High Court Division’s guidelines in Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association v Government of Bangladesh continue to provide the general institutional framework against sexual harassment at workplaces and educational institutions unless replaced or supplemented by legislation. The legal framework became materially stronger in 2026. The amended Bangladesh Labour Act now expressly addresses gender-based violence and…
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Domestic Violence Law in Bangladesh: Protection, Residence, Custody and Compensation Orders
The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2010 allows an affected woman or child to seek protective court orders against physical, psychological, sexual and economic abuse arising from a family relationship. The court may make interim protection, protection, residence, temporary custody, safe custody and compensation orders. These remedies may operate alongside a criminal case, divorce,…
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Child Marriage in Bangladesh: Age Rules, Offences and the Special-Circumstances Exception
Under the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017, the minimum marriage age is twenty-one for a male and eighteen for a female. A marriage involving a person below the applicable age is a child marriage. The Act contains a narrowly structured special provision, but it is not a general parental permission. It requires a court direction,…
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Guardianship and Custody: The Legal Difference and Cross-Border Relocation
Custody concerns who physically cares for and lives with a child. Guardianship concerns broader legal authority over the child’s person, property or both. A parent may have legal guardianship without having day-to-day custody, and a custodial parent may still need court approval or the other parent’s lawful cooperation for major decisions, especially international relocation. Family…
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Child Custody after Separation or Divorce: How Courts Decide the Child’s Welfare
A custody case is not decided simply by declaring that the father is the legal guardian or that the mother has a traditional right to young children. The controlling judicial consideration is the welfare and best interests of the individual child. The Family Court examines safety, caregiving, emotional relationships, education, health, stability, the child’s views…
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Maintenance Rights of Wives and Children in Bangladesh
A Muslim wife may claim maintenance during a subsisting marriage where the husband has failed to maintain her without lawful justification. She may seek relief through the Family Court and may also use the Arbitration Council procedure under section 9 of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance. A child’s maintenance is a separate legal obligation. Divorce…
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How Can a Muslim Wife End a Marriage in Bangladesh?
A Muslim wife may end a marriage through several legally distinct routes. These may include delegated divorce, a decree under the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939, or a consensual dissolution such as khula or mubarat. The correct route depends on the Kabinnama, the husband’s agreement, the facts and the available statutory grounds. A wife…
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Muslim Divorce by a Husband: Notice, the 90-Day Period and Verbal Talaq
A husband seeking to divorce his wife must follow section 7 of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961. After pronouncing talaq in any form, he must give written notice to the relevant Chairman and provide a copy to the wife. The divorce does not become effective merely because the husband privately says or writes the…
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Dower or Mahr: A Muslim Wife’s Enforceable Legal Rights
Dower, also known as mahr or denmohor, is a legal obligation owed by a Muslim husband to his wife. It belongs to the wife and is not a payment to her parents or family. If the Kabinnama does not specify how or when the dower is payable, section 10 of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance…
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Muslim Marriage in Bangladesh: Legal Requirements, Registration and the Kabinnama
A Muslim marriage in Bangladesh should be solemnised according to applicable Muslim personal law and must be registered under the Muslim Marriages and Divorces (Registration) Act, 1974. Registration creates the principal official record of the marriage, but it does not by itself cure a marriage that is prohibited or otherwise legally invalid. The Kabinnama is…