Bill to discourage early marriage placed in JS

According to a provision of the bill, when a marriage will be solemnised by the nikah registrar himself, he must register the marriage at once. In case of a marriage solemnised by any person other than nikah registrar, the bridegroom must report it to the nikah registrar concerned within 30 days.

Any person violating the provision shall be liable to be punished with imprisonment for a maximum two years or with a fine of Tk 3,000 or both.

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Introducing the Muslim Marriages and Divorces (Registration) (Amendment) Bill, 2005, Law Minister Moudud Ahmed said marriages were being solemnised without registration because of loopholes in the existing law.

As such most of the marriage are early marriages and illegal, he added.

The existing law sets the minimum marriageable age at 18 for a girl and 21 for a man.

Moudud said that in absence of marriage registration, women face various forms of harassment in realising their lawful benefits in case of divorce.

He said the proposed law would ensure accountability of the bridegrooms and the nikah registrars for marriage registration as well as check early marriage.

The bill has been sent to the parliamentary standing committee on the law ministry for further scrutiny.