Vow to resist early marriage, dowry

United on a noble mission... A partial view of the meeting of matchmakers and marriage registrars held in Gaibandha. PHOTO: STAR

At a meeting on Thursday, first such event in the district, they vowed to resist the social vices and sought co-operation from the administration to realise the goal.

This is a "revolutionary" decision that will free the society from many ills and incidents of violence against women, said Salima Rahman, State Minister for Culture, who attended the conference as chief guest.

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The initiative taken in Gaibandha will soon spread all over the country she hoped and assured all cooperation from the government in the noble initiative.

About 1,600 people including 80 matchmakers, 87 marriage registrars, Union Parishad chairmen, social workers, NGO representatives and the elite attended the conference, held Gaibandha public library hall.

Distinct Women Affairs Directorate and local NGO Gano Unnayan Kendro jointly organised the programme.

There are over 2000 matchmakers in seven upazilas in Gaibandha distict.

It is a hard task to resist the deep-rooted vices from a society where literacy rate is poor and age old superstitions still prevail, said M Abdus Salam, Chief Executive of Gano Unnayan Kendro.

"But we must removed these", he said. "Organising such a conference was also a difficult task", he said thanked the matchmakers and marriage registers for their positive response in the noble goal.

Women repression because of early marriage and dowry is a common incident in the country. Lack of women's education, consciousness and self-reliance are the reasons for early marriage and dowry said District Women Affairs Officer Dil Afroz.

"We often fail to resist early marriage in remote areas where literacy rate is too low. Matchmakers and local UP members can help us a lot in this regard", said Abdul Hye Khan, a marriage registrar from Sadullapur upazila.

He also criticised a section of marriage registrars for registering early marriage showing fake age of bride and bride groom in exchange of money.

Halima Begum, a female matchmaker in Gaibdndha municipal area, said poor matchmakers try to arrange marriage to earn money. A massive campaign can only curb early marriage and dowry. There should be some legal bar also, she said.

Mofizul Hoque, a marriage registrar from Bharatkhali, narrated his experience. A few days back he refused to register marriage of a 12-year-old bride. But the marriage was solemnised and registered by another marriage registrar. Cooperation from administration is necessary to curb early marriage, he said.

Presided over by Gaibandha Deputy Commissioner Tapon Chandra Majumder, the conference was also addressed by, among others, Police Superintendent Bhanu Lal Das, Public Prosecutor Jahangir Alam Jinnah and Gaibandha Mohila Paishad President Rowshan Ara Farid.