The ancient art of the matchmaker has been given a boost by getting on to the Internet.

Badhon marriage consultancy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is among the first wedding fixers venturing online. It says it has 1,500 members, 60% of whom are female.

Net users can look at existing member profiles

Net users can check the vital statistics of existing members, who give details of their age, height, weight, blood group, age, education, occupation and father's position. They will also get a flavour of what each is looking for in a partner.

By joining Badhon, people can post their own specifics and arrange meetings with the men and women in the "Brides" and "Grooms" lists. Applicants living abroad may use a guardian in Dhaka to carry out initial meetings.

The consultancy says it arranges between four and seven marriages every month as a result of this service.

However, some things appear not to be affected by matchmaking's move into the hi-tech world.

Traditional methods of matchmaking

Most men who e-mail Badhon say they are looking for a slim, beautiful wife, while women are more interested in their prospective husband's job.

Mr Shible, one of 17 employees who look after the company's customers, said many were unrealistic in their expectations of a partner.

"In most cases, people look for candidates who have extraordinary qualifications. But extraordinary qualifications are not so common. So out of 2,000 candidates, these extraordinarily qualified candidates are not so big in number.

"But the fact is that most of the candidates, without being extraordinary, are looking for candidates who are extraordinary."

But despite high-tech help, the human touch remains important to reassure clients daunted by the prospect of marriage.

Mr Quader: looking for a bride

One such man is Mr Quader, a Bangladeshi Muslim who lives in Canada. He returned to his homeland to look for a wife, but has already once called off an engagement arranged by Badhon.

"I couldn't adjust mentally to the culture which exists in Canada," Mr Quader said. "That's why I want to get married to a girl from Bangladesh."

One matchmaker, Dr Supati Ranjan Acharya, said the profession is not highly paid but brings spiritual rewards.

"In this profession, there are lots of blessings. We have a saying that if you can arrange a successful marriage, you'll be blessed as if you had built a mosque or a temple. I prefer to be rewarded in this way than to make a lot of money, so I chose to become a matchmaker."
 

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