Protection of Women's Rights in Islamic Family Law: A Comparative Analysis of Judicial Activism in India and Bangladesh

Islamic family law in South Asia, particularly in India and Bangladesh, has long represented a complex battleground between traditional religious values and demands for women's rights. This legal framework plays a central role in regulating gender relations within the family institution but often conflicts with gender justice principles within patriarchal societies. This study aims to assess the extent to which courts have contributed to transforming Islamic family law towards greater gender equity. Employing a normative qualitative descriptive approach through literature review, it compares legal strategies and judicial activism roles in both countries. Findings indicate that courts in both settings seek to expand ijtihad to address legislative stagnation, especially in protecting women's post-divorce rights. Despite distinct socio-political challenges, Bangladesh demonstrates a more centralized and progressive judicial approach, whereas India faces constraints from legal pluralism and identity politics that hinder reform effectiveness. Judicial activism emerges as a critical mechanism bridging sharia interpretations with contemporary justice principles, although its success heavily depends on institutional contexts and civil society support. The study advocates for proactive legislative engagement, progressive legal education, and theological reinterpretation grounded in maqasid al-shariah as strategic measures towards inclusive and responsive Islamic family law reform.