Child marriage bid foiled, bridegroom sent to jail

A mobile court foiled a bid for child marriage in Baksorghat village under Natore Sadar upazila yesterday.

The court sentenced the bridegroom Hasibul Islam, 18, son of Ataleb Hossain of the village, to 15 days' imprisonment.

Hasibul Islam was going to marry Khusi Khatun, 13, daughter of Khorshed Ali of Shakhila village under Singra upazila of the district, and a Class VII student.

Hasibul said he was in love with Khushi and pressed his parents to arrange his marriage with her or else he would commit suicide.

Shahina Laizu, field coordinator of a local NGO, said they informed the UNO about the early marriage, and he asked them to catch the bridegroom and his relatives. Following the order, the NGO officials caught the bridegroom at his house at Baksorghat village.

The UNO then led a mobile court to the spot and sent Hafizul to jail for 15 days.

Khalilur Rahman, deputy commissioner (DC) of Natore, said the district administration is working to stop child marriage. They are making people aware about the bad effects of early marriage.

Shyamal Kumar Mukherjee, superintendent of police, said the police are always ready to prevent child marriage. They have formed a Special Support Centre for Women to deal with women's affairs, including child marriage.

Early marriage is decreasing day by day in the upazila because the upazila administration has asked the marriage registrars (kazi), imams, and priests not to conduct any child marriage, the UNO said.