Divorce cases rise at alarming rate in Sirajganj

SIRAJGANJ, Sept 28: Divorce cases are rising at an alarming rate in Sirajganj, with 4,803 cases registered in the district in 2025 �" an average of 13 a day, according to the district registrar's office.

Behind the statistics are stories of domestic violence, drug addiction, gambling, dowry demands, extramarital relationship and family disputes.

Maya Khatun, 14, was married to Shikhan, son of Shafiqul of Kodla village in Raiganj Upazila, only eight months ago. Her widowed mother had been unable to pay Tk 30,000 of the agreed dowry, according to Maya.

Maya alleged that she was beaten and threatened with a knife in front of the Nikah registrar before being forced to sign divorce papers.

Taslim, from Bahuka area of Sirajganj Sadar Upazila, signed divorce papers by mutual consent after six years of marriage, taking their daughter with her. She said she was forced to end the marriage because of abuse by her mother-in-law. She also alleged that her husband regularly returned home intoxicated and abused her.

Shilpi, a mother of two from Shibnathpur Village, said her husband beat her, drove her out of the house and later sent her divorce papers. She said her husband, mother-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law had subjected her to abuse since her marriage.

According to the district registrar's office, 13,317 marriages were registered in Sirajganj in 2025, averaging 36 a day, against 4,803 divorces, or around 13 a day.

Officials said the number could rise further in 2026, with the final figure to be available after the December report.

Data from a Nikah registrar's office in Sirajganj municipal area show that 152 marriages and 157 divorces were registered between January and August this year, meaning divorces outnumbered marriages there during the period.

However, data from the Sadar Upazila Nikah Registrar Association show that 1,670 marriages were registered against 850 divorces during the same period.

Kazi Nazrul Islam, President of the Sirajganj District Nikah Registrar Association, said divorce registrations this year were relatively higher than last year.

Officials, legal professionals and residents cited drug addiction, gambling and extramarital relationships as some of the major reasons behind marital breakdowns. Other factors include domestic violence, child marriage, dowry, excessive mobile phone use, mental abuse, conflicts with in-laws and interference by other family members.

An assistant to a lawyer, who declined to be named, said his wife often ordered expensive products online and quarrelled when he could not afford these.

“I have made many sacrifices to keep our marriage together, but she still wants a divorce,” he said.

Nikah Registrar Md Sharif said many marriages were breaking down because husbands became involved in drugs, gambling and other antisocial activities and failed to provide for their families.

“Extramarital relationship involving women through mobile phone are another reason,” he said, adding that conflicts in joint families also contributed to some divorces.

Professor Mahidul Hasan, Principal of Sirajganj Government College, said the rising divorce rate was a matter of concern.

“Declining tolerance, patience and freedom of expression are among the reasons. Economic disparities and social instability are also contributing,” he said.

He called for greater awareness of the consequences of divorce and stronger involvement of community leaders and relevant institutions in resolving marital disputes.

Sirajganj District Registrar Sharif Toraf Hossain said 4,803 divorces were registered in 2025.

“We always discourage both parties from taking the decision to divorce,” he said, adding that this year's final statistics would be available at the end of December.

Kafi Al Azad, senior civil judge and legal aid officer in Sirajganj, said marital breakdown could involve responsibility on both sides, although the circumstances varied.

“Drug addiction, gambling and extramarital relationships among men are forcing many wives to seek divorce. Repeated physical abuse also makes it difficult to sustain a marriage,” he said.

He said failure to earn enough to support a family and provide for a wife was another reason. In educated families, he said, physical violence might be less common, but psychological abuse could eventually lead to separation.

“Unwanted interference by the husband's family in the relationship between husband and wife also creates conflict and can eventually break up a marriage,” he said.

Regarding women, Al Azad said excessive mobile phone use was among the issues raised in divorce disputes. He said some husbands complained that their wives used phones until late at night and became involved in extramarital relationships through social media platforms.

In the 2025-26 fiscal year, the legal aid office received 461 complaints related to dowry and violence against women and resolved 448 of them.

The office also helped restore 457 broken marriages through mediation in 2025.