Hindu women’s property rights: Bangladesh perspective

Abstract

In Bangladesh Hindu women are guaranteed meager property rights in comparison to their male relative as well as their other religious counterparts. Although Bangladesh is mandated through its constitution to prohibit all sorts of discrimination on the ground of sex and religion, no single piece of legislation has so far been enacted to reform the traditional laws that guarantee limited property rights to Hindu women. Moreover, as a member of international community and signatory to various international conventions, Bangladesh is bound to eradicate all sorts of discriminations. Therefore, by not addressing the property rights of Hindu women, Bangladesh is not only violating the constitutional mandate of non-discrimination but also its international obligation. This paper will critically analyze the present state of Hindu women’s property rights in Bangladesh and will examine Bangladesh’s national and international obligations towards the same.