Bangladeshi couple breaks longstanding wedding tradition
Last updated on: 23 September,2019 09:10 pm
"I tried to bring up the matter of equal rights for men and women to the fore," said groom's father.
DHAKA (Dunya News) - Khadiza Akter Khushi, a 19-year-old bride, challenged the wedding traditions of Muslim and brought the groom to her house after tying knot with him.
The video of wedding ceremony stormed the internet and sparked debate about women’s rights in the conservative nation.
Khadiza Akter Khushi led ‘Baraat’, bridesmen and brideswomen, along with a motorcade of seven microbuses, and thirty motorcycles to the residence of her groom, Tariqul Islam, in the Western rural district of Meherpur last Saturday (Sept. 21) and tied knot with him.
Khadiza challenged the longstanding tradition of the wedding, where a groom starts the festivities, and expressed, "Yes, it is uncommon. But I did it so that other women can follow me”. Instead of the bride, this time a groom left his home and went with the bride.
Islam, 27, said the couple faced no resistance or criticism from families and friends. "We did it as part of our efforts to end gender discrimination and to establish equal rights for women," he told AFP.
"I am sure our marriage will send a message that a woman can do whatever a man can." Footage of their wedding went viral online, generating heated debate on social media. The marriage also made national headlines in the Muslim majority country of 168 million people, where conservative values remain strong.
Groom’s father Abdul Mabud said, ‘‘We speak about ensuring women’s rights, but we fail in reality. By arranging such a marriage, I tried to bring up the matter of equal rights for men and women to the fore.’’