http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18152773

[21 May 2012] - A Bangladeshi court has ordered officials to explain their failure to stop a 12-year-old girl allegedly being married to a 14-year old boy.

The High Court made its order after a leading non-governmental organisation petitioned it to act in the case. 

The girl's parents say that she was 16 and that the marriage was not "binding".

Rights groups say that Bangladesh has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world.

They say that young girls are married off soon after reaching puberty and usually move in with their husbands straight away, even though it is against the law for girls to marry under the age of 18 and men under the age of 21.

It is estimated that 20 per cent of girls become wives before their 15th birthday.

Campaigners say that with a significant part of the population living below the poverty line, the priority for many families is to get their daughter or sister married off as soon as possible to a man who could provide for her even if he is much older.

Local media reports say that the latest case took place on Friday in the south-west of the country in a village near the town of Meherpur.

The reports said the marriage took place in the presence of two elected members of a local council.

They said that the police did not take action because of resistance from the two local councillors.

"It was shocking that the marriage was held in the presence [of the] councillors. As public servants they should have stopped this because this is against the law," Abantee Nurul, a lawyer from the Ain-o-Salish Kendra rights group said.

However, speaking to the BBC the girl's father, Muhammad Azadul Islam, denied reports that his daughter was only 12 years old. He said she was married in a religious - rather than a civil - ceremony, which was not "binding".

"My daughter Mussammat Ayesha Akhter is 16 years of age. We are not educated and we are not aware of the law. She will go to her in-laws' house after two years," Mr Islam, a day labourer, said.

The High Court ordered local government officials, the police and the two councillors to report to it on 29 May to explain the background to the reported incident.

"When we heard about the wedding, we immediately informed a local government official. He told the police to look into the matter. Police came to the marriage to stop it but one of the councillors did not allow them to intervene," Tuhin Aranyo, a local journalist who was present at the wedding, told the BBC.

When contacted, one of the councillors refused to speak about his alleged role in the wedding.

Further Information:

• INDIA: Child bride annuls marriage (26 April 2012) 
• PAKISTAN: Hindu girls kidnapped for forced marriage and conversion to Islam (24 April 2012) 
• FORCED MARRIAGE: The pupils who vanish during UK holidays (10 April 2012) 
• CHILD MARRIAGE: What is it like to be a child bride? (4 October 2011) 
• INDIA: Girls persuade parents against child marriage (4 July 2011) 
• MYANMAR: Bride trafficking to China unveiled (3 June 2011) 
• BANGLADESH: Parents still not heeding child marriage warnings (6 April 2011) 
• CHILD MARRIAGE: Challenging the root causes in India (3 March 2011)
• CHILD MARRIAGE: How to end it (6 December 2010)
• CHILD MARRIAGE: NGO takes governments of Nigeria and Egypt before African Commission (25 May 2010)
• UN: Child marriage and the law (UNICEF, May 2009)
• For a special edition CRINMAIL on child marriage, click here. 
• More on children's rights in Bangladesh

Previous News release items

• 22/05/2012: ISRAEL: Growing tensions between locals and migrants (Arabic)
• 22/05/2012: HUNGARY: Rights Commissioner slams proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility
• 22/05/2012: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Child politicians challenge corruption
• 22/05/2012: AFGHANISTAN: Hundreds of schoolboys sick after suspected poisoning
• 22/05/2012: ITALY: Bomb set off outside school kills girl

Organisation Contact Details:

BBC

Last updated 23/05/2012 11:48:26

Please note that these reports are hosted by CRIN as a resource for Child Rights campaigners, researchers and other interested parties. Unless otherwise stated, they are not the work of CRIN and their inclusion in our database does not necessarily signify endorsement or agreement with their content by CRIN.