SANGSAD BHABAN, June 15, 2026 (BSS) - Women and Children Affairs Minister Abu Zafar Md. Zahid Hossain today said the government has taken an initiative to amend the 'Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017', making online or digital birth registration certificates mandatory for marriage registration in a bid to prevent child marriage.

He made the disclosure in a written reply to a question from NCP member Abul Hasnat of Cumilla-4 constituency in the Jatiya Sangsad.

The minister said the draft amendment is currently being prepared.

He added that the proposed revision aims to close legal loopholes created by the "special circumstances" provision in the existing law, which has at times allowed child marriages to take place.

Under the planned amendment, only digital birth registration records will be accepted for marriage registration, replacing the existing paper-based certification system.

The initiative is intended to prevent the manipulation of age records through forged or inaccurate birth certificates, he said.

The minister further noted that many marriages are still conducted according to religious customs without formal registration, which makes enforcement and field-level monitoring more difficult.

He stressed the need for a coordinated effort involving law enforcement agencies, local administration, lawmakers, and local government representatives to effectively eliminate child marriage.