<i>Humiliated by forced marriage, schoolgirl takes her life</i>
Humiliated by forced marriage, a schoolgirl took her life by hanging from the ceiling of her house at Kalmegha village in Pathorghata upazila of Barguna district on Monday.
The victim, Nishat Jahan Sharmin, 13, was a class VI student of Kalmegha Muslim High School, and daughter of Abdul Jalil, a rickshaw puller.
Sharmin's mother Khadiza Begum said her daughter became sick under the influence of jiner achhor (effect of evil sprit) and a local ojha (witchdoctor) suggested marrying her off for recovery.
Then the poor parents arranged Sharmin's marriage with Ismail, 31, an illiterate tea stall owner, of the same village.
Sharmin protested the early marriage with a much older illiterate person, said her elder brother Shahin Alam.
Local marriage registrar Kazi Nazmul Hasan said, "Called by local union parishad member Sohrab Hossain on August 23 night, I went to the mosque to register the marriage but returned without registering it as Sharmin's family members failed to produce her birth certificate."
However, the marriage was solemnised, without consent from Sharmin, at late night by Maulana Abdus Sattar, imam of Kunjerhat Jame Masjid, in presence of the guardians, relatives, and local UP member at the mosque, said Zahirul Islam, a villager.
Ismail stayed with Sharmin at her house till Monday morning and Sharmin went to her school that day, family sources said.
"Sharmin was good at study. Frustrated about her early marriage, she felt humiliated as her classmates teased her about the matter. And she committed suicide after returning from school in absence of her family members at the house," said Abul Kalam Azad, a teacher of the school.
Despite repeated attempts over mobile phone, Maulana Abdus Sattar and UP member Sohrab Hossain could not be contacted for their version.
Pathorghata Upazila Nirbahi Officer Badal Chandra Haldar said he will investigate the matter.
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