Paragraph on Dowry - A Social Curse

The Custom of Dowry

Money or any commodity/advantage brought by a bride to her husband as per demand is dowry. This derogatory custom is more or less prevalent in every stratum of our society in different forms. The main reasons for this custom are the inordinate avarice of the bridegroom, imprudent parents' restlessness to marry their daughters off, lack of social awareness, illiteracy, ignorance, law enforcing agency's failure to implement existing laws, lack of morality etc. Dowry, a social curse is the mother of all evils indeed. Rich people nowadays give and take dower in the name of gifts, which ultimately induces other to follow them. This abominable practice makes many parents broke and reduces the girls’ dignity to dust. It affects the entire society as it diffuses like contagious diseases and becomes a part of social norms. We need to sanction stringent punitive action, and to raise mass awareness to eliminate this derogatory gender discrimination. The law-enforcing agencies can play a vital role by applying the existing rules against dowry as well.

Word-note: commodity – goods (পণ্য), derogatory – disparaging (অবমাননাকর), prevalent – existing (বিদ্যমান), stratum – level (স্তর), inordinate – excessive (অত্যধিক), avarice – greed (অর্থলোভ), imprudent – unwise (অবিচক্ষণ), restlessness – impatience (অস্থিরতা), implement – carry out (বাস্তবায়ন করা); , ultimately – finally (অবশেষে), induce – tempt (প্ররোচিত করা), abominable – detestable (ন্যক্বারজনক/ঘৃণ্য), broke – bankrupt (নিঃস্ব), dignity - self-respect, diffuse – spread (ছড়িয়ে পড়া), contagious – infectious (সংক্রামক), norm- custom (রীতি/শিষ্টাচার), sanction -pass (পাস/বরাদ্দ করা), stringent – strict (কঠোর), punitive – disciplinary (শাস্তিমূলক), eliminate – eradicate (দূর করা)।