The divorce rate is increasing across the country. This rate is terrible. In Meherpur, the smallest district of the country, one divorce is happening at every 4.5 hours. In the last financial year 2022-23, an average of 5 divorces took place in this district every day.
According to the information of the Meherpur district registrar's office, a total of 2100 marriages and 1929 divorces have been registered in the district in 2022. This picture is alarming.
Speaking to several marriage registrars, it is learnt that nowadays, the allegations of dowry and physical torture as reasons for divorce are almost zero. One of the reasons that have been shown in divorces in the last 2/3 years is over addiction to social media like Facebook and TikTok. The wife's parents tend to over-interfere in various decisions in the husband's family. Inability to support wife properly, sexual impotence and involvement in adultery in both husband and wife.
According to the information provided by Meherpur district registrar's office, there were 7 divorces in Sadar upazila, 4 in Mujibnagar upazila and 11 in Gangni upazila as against 802 marriages in Meherpur Sadar upazila against 552 marriages in Mujibnagar upazila during the financial year 2022-23 through government registered marriage registrars (Kazis). A total of 233 divorces and 722 divorces against 746 marriages were registered in Gangni upazila. Besides this, there is a lot of child marriage. Child marriages and subsequent divorces are not legally recorded. Matters escalated to court. As a result, these statistics do not come up correctly.
According to the survey data of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) titled 'Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics 2022', the total population of Meherpur district in 2022 was 7 lakh 5 thousand 356 people. The district has a marriage rate of 22 and divorce rate 2.7 per thousand populations. According to that, the total number of marriages in Meherpur district in 2022 was 15 thousand 5 hundred 15 while that of divorces was 1904.
However, while the divorce statistics in the BBS survey data are somewhat consistent with those of the district registrar's office, there is a wide gap in the total number of marriages.
Complaints of dowry, physical
abuse decreasing, one
divorce at every 4.5 hour
In this regard, Deputy Director of Meherpur District Statistics Department Md. Basir Uddin said, in the case of census, everyone goes to the doorstep. There is no possibility of error. However, in the case of marriage-divorce statistics, the results are determined by determining a sample area. In this case, some numerical differences may occur in the results of the survey with the actual number.
The traditional society of Bangladesh thinks that after marriage, if there is a mismatch between the husband and wife or if there is no relationship, a child should be adopted quickly.
Then the relationship will survive. But this is a complete misconception. Then the child becomes part of this drama, his life becomes horrible. Because, if the child sees quarrels, misunderstandings, competitions or cold relations between the parents, it has a very negative effect on the child.
Khairul Islam (Bashar) is a marriage registrar of Meherpur Municipal area.
He has registered 38 marriages and 100 divorces in the financial year 2022-23. And registered 33 marriages and 85 divorces so far in 23-24 financial year.
Khairul Islam said that the divorce rate in the district is about 82 percent higher in the rural areas than in the cities, which is a significant fact. Couples from rich and middle-class families in the city try to survive the toxic relationship for various reasons, but the people in the village do not.
Another major reason for the increasing number of divorces today is that parents want to over-interfere in their daughter's life in various family matters. As a result, in many cases the relationship is becoming toxic. The end of which is breaking up. However, one thing that is significant in spite of all this is that the allegations of dowry and physical abuse are not seen as reasons for divorce.
Abdul Mabud, marriage Registrar of Meherpur Sadar Upazila, said that 145 marriages and 245 divorces have been registered with him in the fiscal year 2022-23. And in the financial year 2023-24 till now, 113 marriages and 216 divorces have been registered through it.
In this affection, Meherpur District Information Officer Md. Abdullah-Al-Mamun said, divorce is increasing due to child marriage. Also, a major reason for divorce in the region is the husband being abroad. Besides, 'inquiring into the reasons for all the divorces being completed through the courts, it is clear that there has been a decline in morals in the society.
Values have eroded. Men and women are involved in extramarital affairs, wives do not want to obey or obey their husbands, mainly because of these reasons divorce is increasing. Nowadays women are more independent. In most cases they want to be self-reliant and by becoming self-reliant many are involved in immoral extravagance.
Many are getting involved in extramarital affairs along with misappropriating the money sent by their husbands in the absence of their expatriate husbands. '
Advocate Ibrahim Shahen, former president of Meherpur district Lawyers Association, said, "The bottom line is that when trust is lost in the relationship between husband and wife, it becomes an unhealthy and showy relationship." Then children, responsibilities become secondary. The relationship becomes conflicted and dangerous. When the two cannot reconcile even after various discussions, then there is no other option but divorce.