A wedding celebration in Thakurgaon’s Ranisankail took a dramatic turn on the wedding night when the groom, Raihan Kabir, claimed that the bride he had married was not the same woman he had been shown before the wedding. The allegations of a “bride swap” have turned what should have been a joyful occasion into a legal dispute.
The incident has sparked widespread discussion across Thakurgaon. Within hours of the wedding, both families filed counter-cases, and the matter escalated to the courts.
On August 1 last year, Raihan Kabir, son of the late Ibrahim from Chandipur, Pirojpur, married the middle daughter of Ziarul Haque from Bhandar, Ranisankail. On the wedding night, the groom and his family raised the “bride swap” allegations. Despite several attempts at mediation, no resolution was reached.
Subsequently, on August 27, Ziarul Haque filed a case against Raihan Kabir and his cousin Manik Hasan in Thakurgaon court. In retaliation, Raihan Kabir filed another case on September 2 against Ziarul Haque and the matchmaker, Motaleb.
Following these cases, on Monday (January 19), the court rejected Raihan Kabir’s bail application and ordered his imprisonment.
The groom’s maternal uncle, Badal, told reporters that the matchmaker Motaleb had introduced a girl to Raihan at a tea stall in Shivdighi, Ranisankail, in late July. The boy’s family was informed if they liked her. Later, the girl’s family allegedly proposed to finalize the wedding quickly without showing the girl again to the groom’s family.
According to Badal, due to heavy makeup, the groom did not realize the switch on the wedding night. But when the bride washed her face the next morning, Raihan realized she was not the same woman previously introduced. The family believes the swap was deliberate, and the bride was sent back to her father’s home on August 2.
However, the bride’s father, Ziarul Haque, denied the allegations, saying that his middle daughter was indeed the one introduced to the groom’s family. About 70 guests were present at the wedding, making the “bride swap” claim baseless.
He added that the day after the wedding, the groom’s family demanded 1 million taka in dowry. When he asked for time, they refused, and now false allegations are being used to damage his reputation.
Matchmaker Motaleb also denied the allegations, stating that the girl had been shown at her father’s home and that the groom’s family decided on the wedding quickly.
Raihan Kabir’s lawyer and Thakurgaon Lawyers Association president, Zainal Abedin, said the groom’s side alleges that the bride’s family and matchmaker colluded in a planned “bride swap.” Raihan was initially out on bail under mediation terms, but with no resolution reached, the matter is now under full judicial review. He expressed hope that the court will uncover the truth.
