<i>In dark alley of early marriage</i>

12 April 2009, 18:00 PM

Hasibur Rahman Bilu, Bogra

Married at the age of 12 four years ago, Ruma Khatun poses with husband Zahurul Islam and five-month-old baby at their Belgachhi village house in Sherpur upazila.Photo: STAR

“At the age of 12, I was married to my cousin Zahural Islam, 18, just to ensure that I would take care of my ailing father,” said Ruma Khatun, now 16, who along with her husband have been living in her father's residence at Belgachhi village in Sherpur upazila of Bogra district since their marriage four years ago. Recently a baby was born to them. “Guardians knew that early marriage is strictly prohibited according to the law of the country but they arranged our marriage,” said Zahural. Many other couples in different upazilas in Bogra district have similar stories to tell. “When I was 11 years old I was married to my neighbour Khokon, 14, as per arrangement by the guardians,” said Mazeda, 15, now mother of a one-year-old girl. “Guardians of both of the families knew that law does not allow early marriage but we had done it without any resistance. We arranged the marriage just for the sake of peace between the two families and having a lasting relationship between us,” said Mazeda's mother-in-law Aleza of Garidaha village in the same upazila. “One of the causes of early marriage in Bogra district, especially in Sherpur area, is eve teasing,” said Md Abdus Sattar, executive director of Maitree Palli Unnyan Sangathon, a Sherpur-based NGO that conducted a baseline survey on the causes of early marriage at Kusumbi, Khamarkandi and Khanpur unions and other areas of the district last year. “Poverty, lack of awareness of the guardians and some other factors have been identified as causes for early marriage in the district. Even when local marriage registrars refuse to register marriage of underage girls, a section of guardians arrange marriage that remain unregistered,” he said. “Earlier local administration and NGO workers foiled attempt to marry off a 14-year-old girl of Amzad Hossain at Khamarkandi village in Sherpur upazila. But the guardians solemnised in a hurry two months ago,” he said. Md Ayub Ali, headmaster of Sahanagor Girls High School, said, “At least 40 underage students of my school got married during 19 months from July 2007 to February this year. Eleven students got married in last December.” “We failed to stop early marriage of Munira Khatun, a student of class X, as the local union parishad chairman issued a fake age certificate stating that she is 18 years and seven months old. But she is 14 years and two months old according to the school documents,” said the headmaster. He sent four letters to the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) to take necessary steps to stop early marriage in the area, he said. “Marriage of three minor girls of my school have been solemnised during last seven days,” Ayub Ali said over cell phone on March 9. The administration has failed to achieve 100 percent success in checking early marriage due to unfavourable socio-economic condition, said Bogra Sadar UNO Shefina Begum.