The defendant was accused of violating the Cruelty to Woman (Deterrent Punishment) Ordinance of 1983. His wife had testified that he beat her while demanding dowry and ousted her from the house. The Bangladesh Supreme Court, High Court Division, upheld a lower court ruling that dismissed the suit. It ruled that the wife had not alleged that the defendant had "cause[d] or attempt[ed] to cause death or grievous hurt . . . for dowry," as required by the Ordinance. It also concluded that the wife had no right to appeal the decision of the lower court and that the decision could only be appealed by the Government, which had declined to do so.