FAILURE TO PREVENT CHILD MARRIAGE

HC for making local govt representatives liable

The High Court (HC) yesterday asked the authorities concerned to explain in four weeks why union parishad chairpersons and members and ward councilors of city corporations and municipalities should not be held responsible for child marriages in their respective areas across the country. The HC also asked the authorities concerned why union parishad chairpersons and members and ward councilors of city corporations and municipalities should not be terminated for their failure in preventing child marriage in their respective areas, if there is any. In a suo motu move, the HC bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah issued the rule, following a report published in a national daily on October 29 under the headline “24 Ghontay 8 Balya Bibaho Bondho (eight child marriages prevented in 24 hours).

The HC has said it is not acceptable that people’s representatives would fail to prevent child marriages in their respective areas. The HC bench also asked the authorities concerned to explain why appropriate action should not be taken against union parishad chairpersons and members and ward councilors of city corporations and municipalities if child marriages take place in their areas.

Secretaries to the ministries of public administration ministry local government, rural development and cooperatives, law, home, women and children affairs, and social welfare have been made respondents to reply to the rule. The HC also ordered the public administration and women and child affairs secretaries to send the copy of its order to deputy commissioners and upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) across the country. It fixed December 3 for next hearing on the matter.

The PMO’s investigation unit in a report has mentioned that a total of 13,334 child marriages had been prevented across the country in 2014 and a total of 15,775 stopped in 2015. According to the data of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more child marriages take place in Bangladesh among the Asian countries.

 

FAILURE TO PREVENT CHILD MARRIAGE

HC for making local govt representatives liable

The High Court (HC) yesterday asked the authorities concerned to explain in four weeks why union parishad chairpersons and members and ward councilors of city corporations and municipalities should not be held responsible for child marriages in their respective areas across the country. The HC also asked the authorities concerned why union parishad chairpersons and members and ward councilors of city corporations and municipalities should not be terminated for their failure in preventing child marriage in their respective areas, if there is any. In a suo motu move, the HC bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah issued the rule, following a report published in a national daily on October 29 under the headline 24 Ghontay 8 Balya Bibaho Bondho (eight child marriages prevented in 24 hours). The HC has said it is not acceptable that peoples representatives would fail to prevent child marriages in their respective areas. The HC bench also asked the authorities concerned to explain why appropriate action should not be taken against union parishad chairpersons and members and ward councilors of city corporations and municipalities if child marriages take place in their areas. Secretaries to the ministries of public administration ministry local government, rural development and cooperatives, law, home, women and children affairs, and social welfare have been made respondents to reply to the rule. The HC also ordered the public administration and women and child affairs secretaries to send the copy of its order to deputy commissioners and upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) across the country. It fixed December 3 for next hearing on the matter. The PMOs investigation unit in a report has mentioned that a total of 13,334 child marriages had been prevented across the country in 2014 and a total of 15,775 stopped in 2015. According to the data of United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), more child marriages take place in Bangladesh among the Asian countries.