Dowry Law in Bangladesh: Offences, Penalties, Mediation and False Cases in 2026

Dowry law in Bangladesh: the 2026 framework

Dowry law in Bangladesh rests on two statutes that work side by side. The Dowry Prohibition Act 2018 makes it a crime to demand, give, take or agree to dowry, with imprisonment of one to five years, a fine of up to Tk 50,000, or both.[1] Where a dowry demand turns violent, section 11 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000, the Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Daman Ain, takes over, with penalties that reach life imprisonment and death.[3] Both laws also punish those who file false cases, and both now operate alongside a mandatory mediation stage that changes how many complaints begin.

This guide sets out the law as it stands in October 2026: what counts as dowry and what does not, the offences and penalties, how dowry violence is prosecuted, the 2025 reforms on mediation and magistrate courts, bail and compromise, false cases and the courts' response to misuse, how dower differs from dowry, what can be recovered, and the evidence that decides these cases in practice.

Summary: Demanding, giving or taking dowry is an offence under the Dowry Prohibition Act 2018, punishable by one to five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 50,000, or both. Violence over dowry is prosecuted under section 11 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000. Dower under Muslim law and ordinary wedding gifts are not dowry. A knowingly false case is itself a crime under both laws.

Key point: Since the Legal Aid Services (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, complaints under sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act must first go to mediation at the district legal aid office in covered districts. In the first two months, 2,469 such applications were filed.[6]

At a glance

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Table of Contents

Why dowry law in Bangladesh matters in 2026

Dowry is prohibited, yet it remains one of the most common sources of matrimonial disputes and violence against women. Tribunal records reported by Prothom Alo showed that 374 women were killed over dowry in Dhaka city across seventeen years, about twenty-two a year, and that only about three per cent of dowry killing cases had resulted in punishment.[10] The problem is not historical. In August 2026 a woman in Joypurhat died after being tortured, allegedly by her husband, who had already received Tk 100,000 and was demanding Tk 500,000 more; a case was filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and the husband was arrested.[11]

The legal response operates on three levels. The Dowry Prohibition Act 2018 criminalises the transaction itself. The Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 punishes violence connected with a dowry demand. Family law provides the money and divorce remedies that often matter most to a wife once the marriage has broken down. Understanding dowry law in Bangladesh means understanding how these three levels fit together, and which forum to use first.

The Dowry Prohibition Act 2018: the core of dowry law in Bangladesh

Parliament passed the Dowry Prohibition Bill 2018 in September 2018, rearranging the Dowry Prohibition Act 1980 and its later amendments into a new statute and, for the first time, specifying a monetary penalty alongside imprisonment.[2] The Act is Act No. XXXIX of 2018. It took effect at once, repealed the 1980 Act and preserved cases already pending under the old law. An authentic English text was published in October 2020, with the Bangla text prevailing in case of conflict.[1]

What counts as dowry

Section 2 defines dowry as money or other property demanded, given or agreed to be given by one party to a marriage to the other, directly or indirectly, as consideration for the marriage, whether before or during the marriage, or as a condition for its continuance. A "party" is defined broadly to include the bride or groom, their parents or guardians and any other person directly involved in the marriage on either side.[1]

The definition expressly excludes two things: dower or mehr payable to persons governed by Muslim personal law, and gifts given at the wedding by relatives, friends or well-wishers of either party.[1] The line therefore falls between a voluntary gift and a payment that is the price of the marriage. A wedding gift becomes dowry when it is demanded, or when the marriage, or its continuation, is made conditional on it.

Demands made after the wedding

Many dowry disputes begin long after the ceremony. Because the definition covers money or property demanded during the marriage, or as a condition for continuing it, a later demand is caught just as much as one made before the wedding.[1] Typical examples are a demand for money to fund a husband's migration abroad, capital for a business, a motorcycle or a share of the wife's inherited land, made with the express or implied threat that the wife will be sent back to her parents if it is not met. The Joypurhat case reported in August 2026 followed exactly that pattern: an earlier payment raised from the sale of inherited land, followed by a further, larger demand.[11] Recording when and how each demand was made is the foundation of any complaint.

Demanding dowry: section 3

Where a party to a marriage demands dowry, directly or indirectly, from the other party, it is an offence punishable with imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than five years, a fine of up to Tk 50,000, or both.[1] No payment is needed for the offence to be complete: the demand alone is enough.

Giving, taking and agreeing: section 4

Section 4 makes it an offence to give or take dowry, to abet giving or taking it, or to agree to give or take it. The penalty is the same: one to five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 50,000, or both.[1] As commentary on the Act has noted, a person may be punished for accepting dowry even without having demanded it.[3] In principle, the family that pays is also exposed to prosecution.

Dowry agreements are void: section 5

Any agreement to give or take dowry is void.[1] A promissory note, a written undertaking or a clause in a family settlement that commits one side to pay dowry cannot be enforced in any court, and a written record of it may itself evidence the offence.

False cases: section 6

Section 6 makes it an offence to file, or cause to be filed, a case or complaint under the Act knowing that it has no just or lawful ground, with intent to harm another person. The penalty is imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to Tk 50,000, or both, with no minimum term.[1] The provision was one of the headline features when the Act was passed.[2]

Nature of the offences and procedure: sections 7 and 8

All offences under the Act are cognizable, non-bailable and compoundable. The Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 governs investigation, trial and appeal.[1] "Cognizable" means police can register a case and arrest without a warrant. "Non-bailable" means bail is in the court's discretion rather than a right. "Compoundable" means the case can be settled between the parties, which is central to how the 2025 mediation reforms work.

Dowry violence under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000

When a dowry demand is accompanied by violence, the case is usually brought under section 11 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000, which targets a husband, his parents, guardian, relatives or anyone acting on his behalf who causes or attempts to cause death or hurt to a woman for dowry.[3] [5] Charges under section 11 can be brought alongside those under the 2018 Act.[3]

The penalty structure

As summarised in September 2026 by BSS, quoting prosecutors and lawyers, the current penalties are:[3]

• Causing death for dowry: death or life imprisonment.
• Attempting to cause death: life imprisonment with hard labour, or up to twelve years.
• Grievous hurt: life imprisonment with hard labour, or rigorous imprisonment of five to twelve years.
• Simple hurt (section 11(ga)): rigorous imprisonment of two to five years.

Prothom Alo's July 2025 reporting describes the simple-hurt offence under section 11(ga) in the same terms, as punishable with rigorous imprisonment of at least two and up to five years.[5] Older judgments and texts show different figures because the section has been amended several times since 2000, so always check the version in force on the date of the alleged offence.

The 2025 amendment and magistrate courts

The Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, in force from 25 March 2025, moved new cases under section 11(ga) from the tribunals to first-class magistrate courts. Cases already pending before tribunals continue there.[5] The remaining section 11 offences, involving death, attempted murder and grievous hurt, stay with the Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Daman Tribunal, which the 2000 Act established in each district.[4]

Medical evidence

Medical evidence is often decisive in section 11 cases. In May 2024 the High Court Division quashed a section 11(ga) proceeding where the complainant had been treated at a private hospital and by her own brother, a physician, rather than examined at a government hospital or a government-recognised private hospital as section 32 contemplates, and where the allegations of torture were unspecific.[9] Critics of the mediation reforms have raised the same concern from the opposite side: delay can let injury marks fade before the required certificate is obtained.[5] A victim of dowry violence should obtain a medical examination at a qualifying hospital as soon as possible.

Mediation before filing: the 2025 legal aid reforms

The most significant procedural change to dowry law in Bangladesh in recent years came through the Legal Aid Services (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, issued on 1 July 2025. It inserted a mandatory pre-case mediation stage under which the aggrieved party must first apply to the legal aid office for settlement before going to court.[5]

Which dowry complaints are covered

The scheme covers complaints under sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act 2018. As originally announced it also covered simple hurt for dowry under section 11(ga), but that provision was dropped after objections from rights activists.[5] [6] Violent dowry offences therefore go straight to the police or the competent court.

How it works

Mandatory mediation began on 18 September 2025 in twelve districts: Faridpur, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Satkhira, Kushtia, Cumilla, Noakhali, Rangamati, Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Sunamganj. Mediation must conclude within twenty-one working days. If it fails, the legal aid office issues a mediation failure certificate, which allows the complainant to file in court.[6] Further districts can be added by notification, so check whether your district is covered before filing.

The early numbers

Between 18 September and 18 November 2025, legal aid offices received 5,916 applications across all covered laws, of which about 87 per cent concerned family disputes and dowry. Applications under sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act numbered 2,469. About half of all applications were settled.[6]

The criticism

Women's rights groups have objected. Bangladesh Mahila Parishad warned in July 2025 that mandatory mediation could obstruct women's access to justice, make it harder to prove a case if mediation fails and signal that dowry crimes are less serious.[7] Lawyers have warned that an accused who refuses to engage can drag the victim through repeated proceedings.[5] In practice, a complainant should treat mediation as a formal legal step: bring documents and witnesses, record every demand and payment in the application, and insist on a written outcome.

Bail, compromise and settlement

Bail

Offences under the Dowry Prohibition Act are non-bailable, so release depends on the court's discretion.[1] Offences under the 2000 Act are also cognizable and non-bailable, and the Act restricts bail where the complainant has not been heard on the application.[4] An accused who expects arrest can seek anticipatory bail from the High Court Division; our guides to anticipatory bail in Bangladesh and High Court bail explain the process.

Compromise

Offences under the 2018 Act are compoundable by statute.[1] Section 11(ga) of the 2000 Act originally was not. In 2019 the High Court Division, acquitting a husband whose wife wished to continue the marriage, held that "the provisions of law, no matter how stringent, cannot take precedence over protecting a family", allowed parties to settle section 11(ga) cases by compromise and directed the government to amend the law within six months to make these offences compoundable.[8]

The Law Adviser said in July 2025 that the offence had been made compoundable by a High Court ruling, which is the basis on which mediation was originally proposed for it.[5] Some practitioners still describe the position as one that does not provide for settlement, so the route to a compromise should be agreed with the court and recorded carefully.[3] Our guide to compromise in criminal cases covers the mechanics.

The more serious section 11 offences, involving death, attempted murder or grievous hurt, are not settled by agreement. A family's private arrangement does not end a prosecution for those offences.

False cases and misuse of dowry law in Bangladesh

Both statutes recognise that dowry allegations can be weaponised in matrimonial disputes. Section 6 of the 2018 Act punishes a knowingly baseless dowry case with up to five years, a fine of up to Tk 50,000, or both.[1] Section 17 of the 2000 Act punishes a knowingly false case under that Act with rigorous imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine, and allows the tribunal to take cognizance of the offence on a written complaint.[4]

The courts have also policed weak cases directly. In the May 2024 decision, the High Court Division quashed proceedings because the complaint did not specify the acts of torture and the medical evidence did not meet section 32, after the husband argued that the complaint had been filed two months after a divorce and alongside a Family Court dower claim.[9] The court did not rule on the motive argument, but the decision shows that timing and context will be examined.

The balance matters. Very low conviction rates in dowry killings show that genuine victims face serious obstacles, while false-case provisions exist because some complaints are tactical.[10] For complainants, the best protection against a counter-allegation of a false case is a specific, documented complaint. For the accused, the remedies are a quashing application under section 561A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, bail, and, where the facts justify it, a complaint under section 6 or section 17.

Dower is not dowry

One of the most frequent confusions in dowry law in Bangladesh is between dowry and dower, two words that sound alike but mean opposite things.

Dower and dowry move in opposite directions and have opposite legal status. Dowry is a payment demanded from the bride's side and is a crime. Dower, or mehr, is a payment owed by the husband to the wife under Muslim law and is a debt she can enforce. The 2018 Act expressly excludes dower from the definition of dowry.[1]

Dower is mandatory under Muslim law, may be split into prompt and deferred portions, and any stipulation that it will not be paid is void.[13] Where a marriage is dissolved by a court decree, the wife's right to dower is preserved.[12] A dowry dispute and a dower claim often arise together: the husband demands dowry, the marriage breaks down and the wife sues for her unpaid dower. Keeping the two claims separate, with the right evidence for each, is essential. Our guide to dower recovery in Bangladesh explains the civil route.

Recovering dowry that has been paid

Families who have paid dowry often want it back, and this is where dowry law in Bangladesh is least developed. The 2018 Act punishes the transaction and declares dowry agreements void, but it contains no section ordering the return of money or property already handed over.[1] Recovery therefore depends on the facts and on the general law.

• Settlement: repayment is the most common outcome of a successful legal aid mediation or a compromise in a compoundable case, and the terms should be recorded in writing with a payment schedule.[6]
• Civil claims: property that belongs to the wife, such as jewellery, gifts or land given to her, remains hers, and a civil claim may lie where it is withheld.
• Family Court claims: dower and maintenance are claimed in the Family Court, and a husband's dowry demands and cruelty are relevant to those claims and to any divorce.

A family that paid dowry should also understand the risk: giving dowry is itself an offence under section 4.[1] That is a reason to take advice before framing any complaint or demand for repayment.

Divorce and family remedies for a wife facing dowry demands

Criminal law punishes; family law protects the wife's position, and the two should be used together. A Muslim wife may seek dissolution of her marriage under the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act 1939 on grounds that include failure to maintain her for two years and cruelty, which the Act defines to include habitual assault or making her life miserable by cruel conduct even without physical ill-treatment.[12] Persistent dowry demands backed by threats or assault fit squarely within that definition. Her dower survives the dissolution.[12]

The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010 provides a further, protective route, and is notable for treating economic loss as a form of domestic violence, which is often how dowry pressure operates.[14] Our guide to domestic violence law in Bangladesh explains the protection orders available, and our domestic violence practice acts for survivors. For the divorce itself, see divorce in Bangladesh.

Evidence that wins dowry cases

Dowry cases succeed or fail on proof of a demand, its link to the marriage and, in violence cases, the injury. Useful evidence includes:

• Records of the demand: messages, call recordings lawfully obtained, letters and social media exchanges showing what was demanded, by whom and when.
• Proof of payment: bank transfers, mobile financial service records, receipts, and witnesses to cash or goods handed over.
• Witnesses: neighbours, relatives and local representatives who heard demands or saw the consequences.
• Medical evidence: an examination at a government hospital or government-recognised private hospital, as early as possible.[9]
• Specificity: dates, places and the particular acts of each accused. Vague allegations against an entire family are the most common reason complaints fail.[9]
• The kabinnama: it records dower and any conditions, and helps separate dower and gifts from dowry.[13]

Step-by-step: acting on a dowry demand

For a woman or family facing a dowry demand, the sequence below reflects how a strong case is built under dowry law in Bangladesh.

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For a person accused, the same discipline applies in reverse: preserve communications, gather evidence of payments that were dower or gifts rather than dowry, and take advice on bail, quashing and any counter-complaint before responding.

Where to file and which law applies

The forum depends on the conduct. The table below summarises the main routes. On a phone, scroll it sideways.

Where violence is involved, safety comes first: report to the police at once and obtain medical evidence. Where the dispute is about a demand or a payment, mediation in covered districts is the starting point. Our guide to filing a criminal case in Bangladesh explains police cases and complaint petitions, and our Bangla guide নারী নির্যাতন মামলা covers repression cases.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting to see a doctor: injuries fade, and an examination outside a qualifying hospital can sink a section 11 case.[9]
• Filing against the whole family: courts quash complaints that do not specify what each accused did.[9]
• Skipping mediation where it is mandatory: a complaint under sections 3 or 4 filed without a mediation failure certificate in a covered district cannot proceed until mediation has failed and a certificate has been issued.[6]
• Calling dower "dowry": dower is the wife's lawful entitlement and is excluded from the definition of dowry.[1]
• Exaggerating the allegation: a knowingly false case is itself an offence under both statutes.[1] [4]
• Settling informally: an unwritten family promise to return money or stop demands is hard to enforce; record it and place it before the court or legal aid office.

What to watch in 2026

Three issues will shape dowry law in Bangladesh over the next year. First, the reach of mandatory mediation continues to expand, and its effect on dowry complaints, criticised by women's groups, will be tested as more districts are notified.[6] [7] Second, the shift of section 11(ga) cases to magistrate courts under the 2025 amendment should speed up simple-hurt cases, but outcomes will depend on prompt medical evidence.[5] Third, enforcement remains the weak point: dowry is still demanded, and dowry violence still kills.[11]

Whether you are facing a demand under dowry law in Bangladesh, supporting a family member or responding to an allegation, early advice on the right forum and the right evidence makes the difference. Contact TRW to discuss your matter in confidence.

Frequently asked questions

Is dowry illegal in Bangladesh?

Yes. The Dowry Prohibition Act 2018 makes demanding, giving, taking or agreeing to dowry an offence punishable by one to five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 50,000, or both.[1]

Are wedding gifts dowry?

No. Gifts given at the wedding by relatives, friends or well-wishers are excluded, as is dower under Muslim law. A gift becomes dowry when it is demanded as a condition of the marriage.[1]

Is the person who gives dowry also guilty?

Under section 4, giving dowry, as well as taking or agreeing to it, is an offence with the same penalty range.[1]

What is the punishment for torture over dowry?

Under section 11 of the 2000 Act, from two to five years' rigorous imprisonment for simple hurt up to death or life imprisonment where death is caused.[3]

Do I have to go to mediation before filing a dowry case?

For complaints under sections 3 and 4 of the 2018 Act in covered districts, yes. Violent offences under section 11 are not covered.[6]

Are dowry offences bailable?

No. Offences under the 2018 Act are cognizable, non-bailable and compoundable, so bail is at the court's discretion.[1]

Can a dowry case be settled?

Offences under the 2018 Act are compoundable. The High Court Division has allowed compromise in section 11(ga) simple-hurt cases. Serious violence cannot be settled privately.[1] [8]

What happens if someone files a false dowry case?

They face up to five years, a fine of up to Tk 50,000, or both under section 6 of the 2018 Act, and up to seven years' rigorous imprisonment under section 17 of the 2000 Act for false repression cases.[1] [4]

Which court hears dowry violence cases?

New simple-hurt cases under section 11(ga) go to first-class magistrate courts after the 2025 amendment; more serious section 11 cases go to the Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Daman Tribunal.[4] [5]

Can paid dowry be recovered?

The 2018 Act has no refund provision, but repayment is often agreed in mediation or compromise, and property belonging to the wife remains hers.[1] [6]