RANGPUR, Oct 27, 2019 (BSS) – With growing awareness following huge motivational activities being conducted by different government departments and NGOs, the extent of child marriage significantly reduced in remote char areas in last eleven years.
Overcoming decades-old social curse of child marriage, char people are arranging marriages of their sons and daughters at right age with proper registrations also bringing the rate of maternal and neonatal deaths to zero level.
According to officials and experts, the parents and local community leaders are playing a vital role in popularising marriage registration among char people of Rangpur region on the Brahmaputra basin.
“Incidents of child marriage and domestic violence have reduced now also improving living standard of char people,” said Chairman of Rangpur-based research organisation ‘Northbengal Institute of Development Studies’ Dr. Syed Samsuzzaman.
The char people are registering marriages of their daughters and sons though cent percent wedding was happening at ages between 10 and 14 years for adolescents without registration even a decade ago.
“The success has been achieved following comprehensive motivational activities being conducted by local community and religious leaders and government bodies and NGOs in riverine char areas,” he said.
The District Information Offices are playing an important role in creating awareness involving local community and religious leaders, public representatives, women and adolescents on issues of women and children in char areas, Samsuzzaman added.
Deputy Commissioner of Kurigram Sultana Pervin said the extent of child marriage, dowry and repression has been reduced to the minimum in char areas also following growing public awareness by virtue of digitisation.
The Union Information Service Centers (UDCs) are playing a vital role in achieving prime goals of building a digital Bangladesh along with contributing a lot to reducing social curses in building a healthier society for women.
“The char people are getting information on child marriage, dowry, marriage registration, legal aid, gender issue, repression, trafficking, safe motherhood, maternal and neonatal moralities, health, sanitation and drinking water from UDCs,” she said.
Senior District Information Officer of Rangpur Humayun Kobir said the prospect of building an improved society for women has become brighter with continuous reduction in social curses and growing awareness among char people.
“Because of various awareness building activities of the government, NGOs and different social groups, the extent of child marriage marked significant reduction in char areas in last eleven years,” Kobir mentioned.
Mezbahun Nahar, Senior Manager (Women Rights Unit) of RDRS Bangladesh, an NGO, said char people lived in utter poverty for many decades.
However, they are now achieving socio economic uplift with comprehensive GO-NGO assistance and massive social safety net programmes of the government to lead a meaningful life.
“As a result of motivational activities being conducted through GO-NGO collaboration, char people are arranging marriage with registration at right age,” Nahar said.
The newly married and all able couples in char areas are adopting proper methods for family planning and pregnant mothers getting necessary medicare services to contain population growth for building planned families and ensuring safe delivery.
Talking to BSS, Chilmari upazila Chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram, said harmful impacts of child marriage caused many maternal and neonatal deaths and snatched away family peace even a decade ago in char areas.
“However, char people are now registering marriages of their sons and daughters as well as older couples who married 10 to 30 years ago,” Shawkat added.
Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md, Zakir Hossain said the extent of child marriage has reduced also preventing maternal and neonatal deaths in char areas also contributing to achieving the sustainable development goals.