RAJSHAHI, Nov 29: Family courts across the country are witnessing a surge in divorce and marital breakdown cases, with women and children often left most vulnerable.
Lawyers and social workers say the rise stems from a mix of factors like extramarital affairs, lack of mutual respect, child marriage, domestic violence, dowry demands, financial hardship and persistent disagreements.
The problem is visible in both urban and rural areas, though the causes vary. In cities, individualism and extramarital relationships are often cited, while in villages drug abuse, child marriage, dowry disputes and gambling addictions dominate. Whatever the reason, the outcome is similar: fragile families, broken homes, and children caught in the middle.
In Bagha Upazila, NGO Brac has been working to prevent child marriage, domestic violence and marital disputes. Its survey shows that in the past year alone, the organisation mediated more than 400 family conflicts through arbitration. It also facilitated over 300 divorces after settling financial claims between couples. The main reasons cited were child marriage, extramarital affairs, drug abuse, dowry demands and poverty. In addition, family courts in two municipalities and seven unions handled nearly 200 arbitration cases.
Mominul Islam, Brac's Legal Aid Manager, said many marriages are collapsing within a short time. "Almost half of the marriages registered each year end in divorce. The reasons include extramarital affairs, husbands addicted to drugs, disputes over dowry, mismatched expectations, quarrels over income, and general unrest at home," he explained.
He added that divorce is rising among both the poor and the wealthy. "In rural areas, drug abuse, dowry demands and gambling are the main triggers. In cities, ego clashes and extramarital affairs are breaking homes. In every case, children are the ones who suffer most, and this is fuelling social instability," he said.
Locals described how marriages often begin with love or family arrangements, full of hope and dreams. But many households fail to sustain happiness. Some unions collapse even before the wedding henna fades. With modern lifestyles eroding traditional bonds, people are becoming more mechanical, less affectionate, and more prone to separation.
A recent study shows divorce patterns have shifted dramatically in the past decade. Previously, 70 percent of divorces were initiated by husbands. Now, women are leading the process, accounting for nearly 80 per cent of cases.
Bagha Upazila Registrar's office reported 6,150 new marriages registered in the past year. Yet alongside these, divorce petitions continue to rise.
Ripon Ali, kazi of Bajubagha union, said gambling and drug addiction often leave husbands destitute. "When men cannot provide for their families, wives seek divorce. Child marriage and dowry disputes also fuel separations," he noted.
Lawyer and social worker Firoz Ahmed Ranzu, a former union parishad chairman, said children are the worst affected. "A father may remarry, a mother may remarry, but the child is left torn between parents. Sometimes living with the mother means losing the father, and vice versa. This creates deep emotional problems," he said. He urged couples to be more tolerant and caring, and called on civil society to strengthen family bonds.
Teachers and social experts echoed similar concerns. They pointed to drug addiction, dowry-related abuse, extramarital affairs, physical incapacity, misuse of social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok, suspicion, lack of cooperation from in-laws when husbands are abroad, infertility or absence of male children, polygamy, declining tolerance between couples, and erosion of religious values as key drivers of marital breakdown.
As divorce cases crowd family courts, the ripple effects are being felt across society. For children, the consequences are immediate and lasting-loss of stability, fractured relationships, and emotional scars. For communities, the rising tide of broken families signals growing social unrest and the urgent need for stronger support systems.
