Crisis Regarding Inheritance of Women in Bangladesh: A Paradigm for Predictable Solutions

Abstract

Equal rights for men and women are guaranteed by the Constitution of Bangladesh. But all laws are not equally applicable for all citizens. It is especially true in case of personal laws of our country, which govern different communities differently. In case of succession to property, Muslim women share less than their male counterparts. In Hindu and Buddhist law, women do not receive any property from their parents as heirs. Even the guaranteed inheritance rights of women are not properly implemented due to lack of consciousness, patriarchal attitudes, political willingness etc. In this paper, I will address the existing personal laws pertaining to women's proprietary rights for their comparison. Such comparisons will provide us with the real scenario facing Bangladeshi womenfolk.