Last August, I met a beautiful Bangladeshi couple, Sarika and Aslam, at an India-Bangladesh friendship seminar in New Delhi. Both were doing their doctoral studies in India and married for over a year. As my friendship blossom with the couple, I came to relish several new things that many are apprehensive to see in the Bangladeshi society. One day while we had a long discussion on the growing impact of the Internet on Muslim society, I came to know that Sarika and Aslam had an arranged marriage and they came to discover each other on a Bangladeshi matrimonial site. It was a big surprise for me to found the role of online matchmaking in Bangladeshi marriages.
Role of Bangladeshi Matrimonial Sites in Arranged Marriages
My curiosity led me to find out the role of Bangladeshi matrimonial sites in arranged marriages. The foremost thing I found that the educated people in Bangladesh view online matchmaking as the most convenient. With the large number of profiles online with all details of prospective brides and grooms, parents found it easy to browse through and shortlist their choice. There is no need to host so many guests and travel here and there. Again these sites also verify the credentials of candidates for paid services. Bangladeshi matrimonial sites are secure and there is no fear of any misuse of photos or information online. Parents can finalize candidates according to their requirements and talk to or chat with them. In-built interface also help brides and grooms talk to and discover about each other.
A unique feature of Bangladeshi matrimonial sites is that they provide help and information on the latest wedding trends in the country. You can read about wedding venues, bridal fashion trends, tips on selecting honeymoon destinations, and other important facets related to Bangladeshi marriages. Many also help you in selection of wedding planners.
A large number of people from the country are living in Europe, the Middle East, Canada, Australia, Southeast Asia, and the United States. These non-residents have no time to trot around the world or in Bangladesh to find out their choicest bride. Most of the Bangladeshi matrimonial sites run special services for them. Apart from providing access to their repository, these matrimonial sites have dedicated helplines for them.
Growing Popularity of Bangladeshi Matrimonial Sites
Access to the Internet is the primary reason for the popularity of Bangladeshi online matchmaking. Almost all cities and towns have cybercafés. In major cities, such as Dhaka and Chittagong, the number of people with individual broadband connections is around one-fifth of the total population. These netizens like to make full use of the Internet and found online matchmaking services more convenient. The next big factor is the eagerness among the younger generation to shun the conservative social control. They found online matchmaking on Bangladeshi matrimonial sites as the perfect platform to choose their life partner and avoid selections by more traditional family members and relatives. I guess the inherent romantic touch in searching, talking to, and choose the soul mate is also quite appealing to the younger generation. In a conservative social system, tech-savvy attitude among the young calls for similar open-minded outlook by their life partners. Those who prefer online matchmaking for Bangladeshi arranged marriages are viewed as more contemporary and satisfying to modern craze among the younger professionals.
The combination of focus on customer and respect for cultural ethos also make Bangladeshi matrimonial sites acceptable to the largely conservative nation. They offer people to effectively find out perfect soul mates overcoming geographical barriers.
