School kids save fellow from early marriage

Classmates saved a schoolgirl from child marriage in Bhandaria upazila town of the district on Tuesday.

She is Joyonti Rani, a Class VI student of Mojida Begum Girls' High School in the upazila, and a resident of the town.

School sources said Joyonti's mother Moni Shing arranged her marriage with a man of Madhabpasha in Barisal district yesterday.

On information, Joyonti's classmates rushed to the spot on Tuesday noon and tried to make her mother understand about the bad effect of child marriage.

They also said it is an offence in the eye of law to marry off a girl before she is 18, said Meem, a sixth grader of the school.

Realising the matter, Moni Shing cancelled the marriage.

"As I am an orphan and depend on my mother and brother, I could not protest their decision," said Joyonti, who attended her classes yesterday.