Although it is rare to witness a marriage between two different nationalities, what with the complication of the different personal laws and the different national legal procedures, one such beautiful marriage did take place on 24 February 2015, between Analyn (pseudonym), a Filipino woman, and Salamul Islam, a Bangladeshi man following the personal Islamic Law.
One of the basic rights of every wife under Islamic law is her right to dower from her husband, which may be given promptly when asked by the wife (Prompt dower), and on the dissolution of marriage or the death of the husband (deferred dower). As such, 150,000 Philippine Peso was determined as her dower money.
Although Analyn went back to Philippines, she often came to Bangladesh to visit Salamul, who stayed here in Bangladesh. It was towards the last few years when she started noticing that he never took her to his home, and how she has been staying in hotel every time she visits him. This was when the doubt started prickling her senses on her husband’s loyalty and faithfulness. Rightly so, he had another woman as his wife safely hidden from Analyn.
Few years into the marriage, at one stage, Analyn could finally realize that she has been deceived by Salamul. And this was when her marriage turned for the worse. Salamul would hit her, beat her and even threaten her. Although Analyn wanted to dissolve the marriage, Salamul refused to listen to her and free her of this deceitful marriage.
With the loss of trust and faith in this relationship, this marriage could only last this long. Four years into marriage, on 11 January 2019, both Salamul and Analyn decided to go to a community Salish, in Khulshi, Chattagram to resolve their dispute. Following the Salish, Salamul fraudulently took Analyn’s signature on a blank document in exchange of a cheque of Tk 300,000 BDT as dower money. But as luck would have it, the cheque was dishonored by the bank.
Finding no other way, Analyn approached the Khulshi Police Station in Chattagram, which then sent her to the Victim Support Centre in Tejgaon, Dhaka. Every following Thursday, ASK lawyer and counselor went to the Victim Support Centre and was slowly made aware of Analyn’s case. Subsequently, ASK provided legal aid and counseling services to the victims jointly with the Victim Support Centre. As Analyn wanted to go back home, ASK communicated with the Embassy of the Philippines in Dhaka arranging for her travel. Meanwhile, ASK also sent notice to Salamul for his appearance.
On 31 March 2019, ASK lawyer sat for a Salish with Salamul and Analyn to conduct a lawful mediation and to establish Analyn’s right to divorce and dower money. Following the Salish, their marriage got dissolved through Khula Talak, and Salamul instantly gave Tk 238,000 as dower money and the remaining money required for her air fare for the Philippines.
As of date, Analyn is a divorced, but a free, happy woman living in the island of her land in Philippines. Both the Embassy of the Philippines and Analyn expressed gratitude for ASK’s assistance.