The Role of Law Enforcement Agencies in Preventing Dowry-Related Crimes in Bangladesh and India

Laws are made for implementation. Needless to say, the effective enforcement of laws depends on proper functioning of the law enforcement agencies. Both the Governments of Bangladesh and India have enacted a number of legislations relating to the issue of dowry. Payment of dowry is a social custom still prevalent in both countries where women have become victims of violence every year. Thus, it is the law enforcement agencies that can prevent the women from the menace of dowry-related crimes through the proper application of existing criminal law. In this context, the role of the law enforcement agencies concerning crimes of dowry is crucial. Enforcement of law is a continuous process from the time an offence is reported till the offender is prosecuted and punished. This is a long process involving various stages such as, investigation, prosecution, trial and judicial decision. In this long procedure numerous agencies e.g., the police, the judiciary and the lawyers play their roles. The article looks at the position in Bangladesh and India because unlike India, where there exists the dowry prohibition Officer who deals with dowry demands, Bangladesh lacks a similar enforcement mechanism. Thus, the objective of this article is to examine the position in both countries where the role and functions of the law and law enforcement agencies are made. The article is developed based on the analysis of secondary sources and the decisions of the judiciary of Bangladesh and India concerning dowry-related crimes.