Child Marriage in Meherpur
HC summons UNO, OC
The High Court (HC) yesterday summoned an upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), a local police Station officer-in-charge (OC) and two ward councillors to appear before it to explain their roles over an incident of child marriage at Sadar upazila in Meherpur.
Shah Momin, UNO of Sadar upazila, Jahangir Alam, OC of Sadar Police Station, and Moniruzzaman and Abdullah Al Mamun, ward councillors of Meherpur pourasava, will have to appear before the court at 10:30am on May 29.
The court also issued a rule upon the government to explain why it should not be directed to punish the persons involved in the incident.
The HC issued the suo moto rule following a report published on the daily Prothom Alo on Monday under the headline 'Two councillors arrange child marriage'.
The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik and Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim passed the order after advocates Abu Obaidur Rahman and Abantee Nurul of Ain O Salish Kendra placed the report before the judges yesterday.
According to the report, guardians of an 11-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy, residents of Bospara and Notunpara in Meherpur town respectively, were hesitant to arrange their marriage as both of them were under-age.
The wedding was, however, completed on May 20 under the supervision of the two ward councillors after they had taken the responsibilities to tackle the legal barriers, the report said.
Among the councillors, Moniruzzaman is the paternal uncle of the girl, it said.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments