Couple Therapy in the Divorce Process of Bangladesh: A Psychological and Legal Analysis


Abstract views: 18 / PDF downloads: 9

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15812933

Keywords:

Academic Dishonesty, Academic Integrity, Bangladesh, Cheating.

Abstract

Bangladesh has experienced a significant rise in divorce rates in recent years. Numerous variables may be blamed for this trend, some of which have their roots in severe and unforeseen situations, while others are the result of very minor problems that could be successfully handled with expert counselling. Strengthening family systems as a cornerstone of a civilized society is crucial to protecting the social fabric and maintaining the fundamental institution of the family. In many ways, the structured divorce process for Muslims under Bangladeshi law is praiseworthy. It does not, however, contain a clause requiring marriage counselling before a divorce is finalized. In contrast, pre-divorce counselling is either legally compulsory or highly encouraged in many other nations. It may be possible to resolve conflicts and possibly save the marriage by incorporating professional counselling into the divorce process, especially during the pre-trial and trial phases of a suit for dissolution of marriage or within the ninety days after the divorce notice is issued. By enforcing such a requirement, Bangladesh's legal system will not only conform to international best practices but also significantly support the maintenance of social cohesion and family harmony.

References

Adams, A. O. (2005). Solving Marital Problems. Lagos: Dominion.

Adeogun, A. (2011). Marriage Counselling. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370946265_MARRIAGE_COUNSELLING, Date Accessed December, 19, 2024.

Ahmad, F. (2019, August 5). Arbitration Council to resolve family law disputes. The Daily Star. Retrieved from https://www.thedailystar.net, Date Accessed December, 19, 2024.

Alam, T. (2014). Divorce Law of Bangladesh: A Critical Analysis of Different Personal Laws A research monograph submitted as partial fulfillment of Master of Laws (LLM) degree. Rajshahi. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/6615651/DIVORCE_LAW_OF_BANGLADESH_A_CRITICAL_ANALYSIS_OF_DIFFERENT_PERSONAL_LAWS_A_Research_Monograph_Submitted_as_Partial_Fulfillment_of_Master_of_Laws_LLM_Degree Date Accessed December, 03, 2024.

Andrean, T., Ming, D., & Sahertian, N. L. (2021). Divorce in the side of a marriage Counselling values. European Journal of Theology and Philosophy, 1(1), 10–15. https://doi.org/10.24018/theology.2021.1.1.1 Date Accessed November 15, 2024.

Atlanticbehavi. (2024, October 22). Couples Therapy vs Marriage Counselling. Retrieved from https://atlanticbehavioralhealth.com/couples-therapy-vs-marriage-counselling/#:~:text=While%20marriage%20counselors%20primarily%20focus,clients%20to%20specialists%20if%20necessary, Date Accessed January 19, 2025.

Bowlus, A. J., & Seitz, S. (2006). Domestic Violence, Employment, And Divorce. International Economic Review, 47(4), 1113–1149. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2354.2006.00408.x, Date Accessed January 19, 2025.

Buscho, A. G., PhD. (2020, February 22). It turns out that the most common reasons are anyone’s guess. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com, Date Accessed January 19, 2025.

Connaughton, B. (2024, December 13). Communication, misunderstandings and divorce - a healthy divorce. Retrieved from https://ahealthydivorce.com/communication-misunderstandings-and-divorce/, Date Accessed December 23, 2024.

Gupta, S. (2024, December 11). How Couples therapy can Improve your relationship. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/couples-therapy-definition-types-techniques-and-efficacy-5191137, Date Accessed December 11, 2024.

Hall, J. H., & Frank D., F. (n.d.). Relationship Dissolution Following Infidelity. In M. Fine & J. Harvey (Eds.), The Handbook of Divorce and Romantic Relationship Dissolution. Mahwah, New Jersey, United States of America: Erlbaum.

Harway, M. (2005). Handbook of Couples Therapy. Wiley. Retrieved from http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA72191054, Date Accessed June 07, 2024.

Hoque, R., & Khan, M. M. M. (2007). Judicial Activism and Islamic Family Law: A Socio-Legal Evaluation of recent trends in Bangladesh. Islamic Law and Society, 14(2), 204–239. https://doi.org/10.1163/156851907781492511, Date Accessed May 09, 2024.

Hub, W. (2024, November 28). Is marriage counselling a better option than divorce? Retrieved from https://www.mywellnesshub.in/blog/marriage-counselling-divorce/, Date Accessed November 28, 2024.

Huq, N. (2001). DIVORCE CONCILIATION: Without the intervention of the Court and Built-in Conciliation in Family Court Proceedings. The Dhaka University Studies, Part-F, XII(I), 1–14. Retrieved from https://journal.library.du.ac.bd/index.php/DULJ/article/view/1407, Date Accessed October 13, 2024.

Ittefaq Desk. (2025, February 10). Rising divorce in Bangladesh: Causes and consequences. The Daily Ittefaq. Retrieved from https://en.ittefaq.com.bd, Date Accessed February 10, 2025.

Juralacuity. (2024, October 28). Legal process for divorce law in Bangladesh. Retrieved from https://juralacuity.com/divorce-law-in-bangladesh/#:~:text=After%20receiving%20the%20notice%2C%20the,reconciles%2C%20the%20divorce%20process%20stops, Date Accessed October 28, 2024.

Kepler, A. (2015). Marital Satisfaction: The Impact of Premarital and Couples Counselling (Master of Social Work). University of St. Thomas, Minnesota. Retrieved from https://ir.stthomas.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1465&context=ssw_mstrp, Date Accessed May 18, 2024.

Killewald, A. (2016). Money, work, and marital stability. American Sociological Review, 81(4), 696–719. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122416655340, Date Accessed March 11, 2024.

Lmft, M. F. L. (2023, December 14). How Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) is used. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/emotionally-focused-therapy-for-distressed-couples-2303813, Date Accessed December 14, 2023.

Macias, E. N. (2010). Divorce Caused by Domestic Abuse: How it Affects the Children. Retrieved from https://journals.test.calstate.edu/csf/article/view/3730, Date Accessed January 05, 2024.

Mohink, T. K. (2023, February 22). How intimacy issues can lead to divorce. Retrieved from https://www.marylandlawhelp.com/how-intimacy-issues-can-to-divorce-1/, Date Accessed February 22, 2023.

MSEd, K. C. (2024a, January 12). How behavioral therapy works. Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com, Date Accessed January 12, 2024.

MSEd, K. C. (2024b, April 1). What is psychodynamic therapy? Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/psychodynamic-therapy-definition-uses-effectiveness-5094933, Date Accessed April 01, 2024.

MSEd, K. C. (2024c, December 10). What is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and how does it work? Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognitive-behavior-therapy-2795747, Date Accessed December 10, 2024.

Mullin, L. R. (2021). Emotional Abuse Within Marriage: To Divorce or Not Divorce. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350892935_Emotional_Abuse_Within_Marriage_To_Divorce_or_Not_Divorce/citation/download, Date Accessed September 9, 2024.

Naeemah, M. K. N. (2022). The Role of the Family Counselling Center in Divorce (A Comparative Study between Iraqi And Iranian law) (Master).

Pieal, J. N. (2023, August 2). With divorce on the rise, can couples therapy be a saviour? The Business Standard. Retrieved from https://www.tbsnews.net, Date Accessed January 19, 2025

Requesting Marriage Counselling in Divorce Proceedings. (n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2024, from https://www.tanner-law.com/family-law/requesting-marriage-counselling-in-divorce-proceedings/, Date Accessed August 27, 2024.

Robinson&Clapham. (2024, February 22). How can a lack of intimacy cause divorce? Retrieved September 30, 2024, from https://www.smrobinsonlaw.com/blog/2024/02/how-can-a-lack-of-intimacy-cause-divorce/, Date Accessed September 30, 2024.

Role of Arbitration Council in Divorce – an ultimate IP solution. (2022, June 4). Retrieved from https://ultimatesolution.com.bd/praesent-libro-se-cursus-ante/, Date Accessed November 22, 2024.

Role of Arbitration Council in Divorce Proceedings in Bangladesh – shossainandassociates.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://shossainandassociates.com/role-of-arbitration-council-in-divorce-proceedings-in-bangladesh/ Date Accessed August 17, 2024.

Sari, Y., Kurnia, S. S., & Sundaya, Y. (2016). The risk of divorce: style of communication, stages of family development, and type of socioeconomic status. International Journal of Culture and History (EJournal), 2(1), 5–8. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijch.2016.2.1.028, Date Accessed July 07, 2024.

Scott, S. B., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., Allen, E. S., & Markman, H. J. (2013). Reasons for divorce and recollections of premarital intervention: Implications for improving relationship education. Couple and Family Psychology Research and Practice, 2(2), 131–145. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032025, Date Accessed March 23, 2024.

Siji, M. M., & Rekha, K. S. (2018). Effectiveness of Marital Counselling on Marital Quality among Young Adults: A Pre-Post Intervention. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI), 7(04), 11–23. Retrieved from https://www.ijhssi.org/papers/vol7(4)/Version-3/C0704031123.pdf, Date Accessed June 12, 2024.

Tam, M. (2023, August 11). Marriage counselling in Malaysia: a last resort before divorce. Retrieved from https://www.divorcelawyer.my/marriage-counselling-in-malaysia-a-last-resort-before-divorce/, Date Accessed February 03, 2024.

Vinney, C., PhD. (2023, November 15). Overview of the Gottman Method. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-gottman-method-5191408, Date Accessed April 22, 2024.

VR Associates Law Firm. (2024, February 1). Importance of marriage counselling in divorce. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-marriage-counselling-divorce-vrassociateslawfirm-oz44f, Date Accessed February 01, 2024.

Zakaria, E., & Ibrahim, F. (2022). Drug Abuse Impact on Early Phases of Marriage (1 to 5 Years): Exploring the Drug Addicted Wives Experiences. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(10), 1724–1735. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v12-i10/15381, Date Accessed December 16, 2024.

Downloads

Published

2025-06-20

How to Cite

Nahar, A. (2025). Couple Therapy in the Divorce Process of Bangladesh: A Psychological and Legal Analysis. International Journal of Social, Political and Economic Research, 12(1), 57–73. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15812933

Issue

Section

Articles