The trend of child marriage is going on unabated in in 10 districts of the Khulna division. Consequently, a good number of children especially, girls are deprived of education and undergo severe health hazards.
The information was shared at the fourth-quarter meeting of the Khulna Divisional Committee for the prevention of child marriage, held on Wednesday afternoon in the divisional commissioner’s conference room under the chairmanship of Additional Divisional Commissioner (Education and ICT) Debprosad Paul.
In the last six months, 202 child marriages have been stopped, and during this period, 1,100 courtyard meetings have been held to raise awareness against child marriage, Debprosad said.
The districts most at risk of child marriage are Satkhira, Bagerhat, Jhenaidah, Khulna, and Jessore, he added.
The meeting reported that 26 child marriages were prevented in March, 31 in April, and 46 in May.
The 46 prevented cases in May are the highest in the last six months.
Earlier, 36 cases were stopped in December, 38 in January this year, and 25 in February.
Among the last six months, Satkhira district prevented the highest number of child marriages at 116.
This was followed by Bagerhat with 93, Jhenaidah with 81, Khulna with 68, and Jessore with 63.
Additionally, 56 child marriages were prevented in Kushtia, 42 in Chuadanga, 34 in Narail, 26 in Meherpur, and 25 in Magura.
The additional divisional commissioner said that child marriage is a social curse that pushes vulnerable children toward an uncertain future.
Educational institutions play an important role in the intellectual development of children, he said.
However, parents should spend more time with their children, closely monitor them to prevent addiction to digital devices, gift good books, and provide positive encouragement for their mental development, he added.
Debprosad said that under the initiative of the Department of Women’s Affairs, courtyard meetings should be held regularly to prevent child marriage. These meetings must address the problems of child marriage and the legal aspects.
Small videos should also be used to raise awareness among parents about the harmful effects of child marriage, he said.
Parents’ mindsets must be changed so that their children can complete their education and contribute to nation-building.
At the same time, the additional divisional commissioner said that, alongside Khulna district, other district administrators in the Khulna division must intensify their campaigns to prevent child marriage.
The meeting was attended by officials from various government departments and committee members.
