Bangladesh: Minor Girl Escapes Child Marriage at Hatibandha

A minor girl escaped from child marriage at the intervention of local UNO of Hatibandha Upazila at village Dakshin Goddimari of Lalmonirhat district on Friday.

Locals said parents on both arranged all preparations for the marriage ceremony of the girl Shohagi, 9, daughter of Shukur Ali of the village with Ariful Haque, 11, son of Moslem Uddin of nearby Singhimari village in the same upazila.

On receipt of the news, local villagers informed the matter to the UNO Lutfur Rahman. The UNO then soon rushed there with officials and local social workers and stopped the marriage. Upazila Women Affairs Officer Sobir Kumar Paul, Director of Adarsha Unnayan Sangstha Samsuzzaman Selim, journalists Elias Bosunia and Asaduzzaman Shaju, members of the police and local public representatives were present. The UNO talked to the guardians and apprised them of the illegal initiative they took and its bad impacts on both immature husband and wife.

Source: The New Nation – 8 February 2008