Women have made progress in modern society, yet many are still denied their share of inherited property. In villages and small towns especially, lack of awareness means many do not receive the share Muslim law gives them.
Under Muslim inheritance law, a daughter generally receives half the share of a son in her parents’ property. But a woman’s inheritance rights are not limited to her father’s estate. As a wife she is entitled to a fixed share of her husband’s property, and as a mother to a share of her child’s.
Muslim law also makes the dower (denmohor) fixed at the time of marriage the wife’s own due. If the husband does not pay it during his lifetime, the wife can recover it through the law, and it can be paid from the property he leaves after his death. A wife is also entitled to maintenance.
Despite these legal rights, many women are deprived of their due property because of social custom, lack of awareness and family attitudes. Lawyers say proper application of Muslim law and greater public awareness could secure women’s inheritance rights. Others involved say raising awareness within families and ending old prejudices are essential to securing women’s property rights.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report