Child marriage more prevalent in char areas

While child marriage is an issue that has plagued the entire country, the prevalence is higher in the remote char lands in the country’s northern parts due to poverty, illiteracy and insecurity, said speakers at an event yesterday.

They also said despite continuous efforts, the number of child marriages has again gone up in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to address the issue, there is a need for a holistic approach.

Speakers made the remarks at the event, titled “Prevention of Child Marriage in remote and marginalised chars of northern Bangladesh”, jointly organised by Friendship and The Daily Star at The Daily Star Centre in the capital.

“I think the figures and regional comparisons on child marriage remain very concerning,” said Robert Chatterton Dickson, British high commissioner to Bangladesh.

In his keynote presentation, Ahmed Toufiqur Rahman, assistant director (inclusive citizenship) of Friendship, mentioned that the overall prevalence of child marriage in the country is 51 percent, which is the highest among all South Asian nations.

“In Rajshahi and Rangpur, the prevalence is higher — around 68 percent, he said. The figure is much higher in char lands,” he added.

Onno van Manen, country director of Save the Children, Bangladesh, highlighted how the loopholes in the law are being exploited in favour of child marriage.

“There are various ministries that are looking into the issue. This either results in overlapping or gaps in the initiatives. It has also been challenging to motivate the government staffers to become proactive in resisting child marriage,” he said.

“People facilitating child marriages face no consequences. That is also something that the system needs to look at,” he added.

Local government representatives from remote char lands in Kurigram also shared their perspectives on child marriage.

“The main reason behind child marriage is poverty. Moreover, illiteracy and insecurity have been adding fuel to continue the problem,” said Saidur Rahman, chairman of Bhogdanga Union Parishad of Kurigram.

Runa Khan, executive director of Friendship, stressed society’s role in stopping child marriage during her concluding remarks.

Natalie McCauley, chief of the child protection team at Unicef; Marie Masdupuy, Ambassador of France to Bangladesh; Amena Begum, deputy inspector general (protection and protocol) of the Special Branch of Bangladesh Police; and Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, director (head office) of Islamic Foundation, spoke at the event among others.