“Hindu widows will have the rights to both agricultural and non-agricultural lands that belonged to their husbands. They will also get the right to sell the lands for legal necessities during their lifetime,” the report said, citing the court order.

For the first time, Hindu widows in Bangladesh will have the rights to both agricultural and non-agricultural lands of their deceased husbands after a top court ruled in their favour, according to a media report.

The Bangladesh High Court on Wednesday ruled that no separation has been made between the agricultural and non-agricultural lands. So Hindu widows have the rights to the lands of their husbands, The Daily Star reported.

Under the current norm, Hindu widows in the country are only entitled to their spouses’ homesteads and not any other assets like agricultural land.

“Hindu widows will have the rights to both agricultural and non-agricultural lands that belonged to their husbands. They will also get the right to sell the lands for legal necessities during their lifetime,” the report said, citing the court order.

The verdict by the High Court came following a civil revision petition filed by civilian Jyotindranath Mondal from Khulna district challenging a lower court verdict.

On March 7, 2004, Khulna’s joint district judge delivered judgement in a case filed by Jyotindranath, saying that Gouri Dasi, widow of Jyotindranath’s elder brother Avimannu Mondal, will get right to the agricultural land of her late husband.

The land had been recorded in the name of Gouri after Avimannu died in 1996.

Jyotindranath had filed the case with the court of an assistant judge in Khulna challenging the record of the land in the name of Gouri Dasi in 1996.

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