Marriage or manipulation? Recognising abuse in Bangladeshi homes

"When we first met, he was everything I could dream of. Warm, intuitive, kind. Slowly he became my whole world and everything, everyone else faded in the background, paled in comparison to the love and affection he showed me."I was madly in love…to the point that it blinded me to his flaws. Were the signs there from before? Perhaps. But that is love, right? You focus on the good and overlook the b

The subtle erosion of self

Words often go unnoticed in their impact, yet they possess the quiet power to build or destroy. For Sadia, it began subtly — with comments about her appearance.

Her husband would make casual, seemingly offhand remarks: how jeans didn't suit her "massive" hips, or how black made her look "skinnier." Without realising it, she started dressing more conservatively — not out of personal preference, but because his voice had begun to shape her perception.

The influence didn't stop there. Her circle of friends soon came under his scrutiny. These were the people Sadia had known her whole life, yet his disapproval planted seeds of doubt. One by one, she pulled away from them, choosing instead to spend time with his acquaintances.