DHAKA, Jan 30, 2022 (BSS) - Stern implementation of anti-child marriage law became urgent requisite as weddings of underaged girl have been increased manifolds amid pandemic after schools are closed due to Covid-19.
"There should be provision in the law to punish whoever involved in the child marriage like parents, kazi and invitees at the wedding to check such kinds of marriage," said Moniruzzaman, a lawyer practicing in Dhaka.
He said the local people representatives must be accountable if any child marriage is conducted in their areas. "If we can bring all those are involved in the matter behind the bar then it would be possible to curb child marriage," he added.
The lawyer suggested forming child marriage prevention committee consisting of government officials at national, district, upazila and union level. "Along with that the existing law must be enforced," he added.
According to a study conducted by the BRAC, the prevalence of child marriage has increased by at least 13 percent due to pandemic-enforced long-term school closure throughout the country, while many cases remain unreported.
Exacerbated financial crisis, the prolonged shutdown of educational institutions and social insecurities are the principal triggering factors for such a high pace of child marriages, the study found.
Data from Polli Shomaj, a community-based women's group under BRAC's Community Empowerment Program (CEP), showed a sharp rise in child marriage during the period between 2019 and 2020.
BRAC prevented 670 child marriages in 2019 and 1,091 in 2020 through persuasion and education efforts.
An assessment report by the Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) said at least 13,886 girls in 21 districts were victims of child marriages between April and October of 2020. Of the total, 48% were between 13 and 15 years old, it added.
A good number of Bangladeshi migrants returned home during the pandemic which prompted grooms and influenced guardians for a rash in child marriage, the BRAC officials said.
Schools authorities should get in touch with venerable girl students on a regular basis to curb child marriage and school dropout, field level social workers suggested.
The absences of female SSC candidates across the country last year have proved that child marriage has taken a terrible turn in the pandemic.
Fifteen students of a women's madrasa in Bagatipara of Natore district were supposed to take part in the entrance examination last year But no one of them appeared as all the girls got married before the exam.
The superintendent of the madrasa Abdur Rauf said they found all 15 female candidates of his institute got married while the madrasa was closed due to the COVID-19 surge.
This was not only happened in Bagatipara, it is a more or less common scenario all over the country
According to the UNICEF 10 million additional child marriages may occur before the end of the decade, threatening years of progress in reducing the practice.
UNICEF release a report titled "COVID-19: A threat to progress against child marriage" on International Women's Day where it warns that school closures, economic stress, service disruptions, pregnancy, and parental deaths due to the pandemic are putting the most vulnerable girls at increased risk of child marriage.
State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatunnesa Indira said the government was committed to preventing child marriage and violence against women and children.
"The government has a zero-tolerance policy to stop violence against women and children. We have to work towards that through strictly enforce the law," she said.
The junior minister said that field level officials of all ministries and departments of the government should fulfill their responsibilities properly to stop child marriage.
Local people's representatives, teachers, imams, religious leaders, NGO representatives and community leaders must work together to prevent child marriage while district, upazila and union level committees need to be more proactive in this regard, she added.
